Riverside County Supervisors push back on tier change
The Board of Supervisors wasted no time expressing their concerns about Riverside County going back to the purple tier, with some openly questioning the leadership of state officials.
Full Details: Riverside County returning to 'purple' tier for a minimum of three weeks
The announcement from public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser prompted frustration and outrage from some county supervisors directed towards Sacramento.
"We're going to be putting a nail in the coffin now on more businesses. We are beyond the ability to say it's all about science. And the problem is when we close, we can't open back up and say 'Riverside County go' because we never closed in the first place. It is all done by the governor." said Supervisor Karen Spiegel.
Local health officials are not able to overrule the state but Supervisor Jeff Hewitt wants other metrics considered when deciding which counties can re-open, including death and hospitalization rates.
"I think we can be safe and still allow people to thrive to get back to normalcy. It's is not thriving right now, it is surviving for so many people," Hewitt said.
Spiegel even went as far as saying enough is enough, hoping the county turns anger into action.
"We need to start protesting up to the governor. We need to do something more than sitting back here," Spiegel said. "This is not acceptable. We are hurting our kids, we are hurting our adults."
Riverside County reported increased testing over the past few weeks and was even granted extra time by the state to move its case rate out of the purple tier but to no avail.
Supervisor Manuel Perez said he hopes the state takes a more targeted approach with the county, which includes more staff and resources.
The supervisors now want county health officials to take a deeper look at solutions in order to reach a balance of getting people back to work while protecting the health of the community.
Riverside County will remain in the purple tier for at least three weeks. The purple tier is the most restrictive tier in California's reopening blueprint. The move means restaurants, gyms, fitness centers, places of worship, zoos, museums, and movie theaters must close indoor operations once again.
All personal care services, such as nail & hair salons, barbershops, and tattoo parlors, are still allowed to operate indoors.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
