Lawmakers ask Gov. Newsom to reconsider restaurant closures
A group of 11 state senators from both sides of the aisle, including a Riverside County lawmaker, are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to move restaurants into the "essential" category and permit them to reopen statewide, despite the current public health lockdown.
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"We ask that you immediately reclassify the restaurant industry as critical infrastructure before more damage is done,'' the lawmakers said in their letter. "As it is becoming obvious to Californians, these essential businesses do more than simply provide a place to eat. Restaurants are active participants in local neighborhoods, providing meals to senior citizens and working with food banks to feed families struggling to put food on their tables."
The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Among the petitioners, who submitted their letter Friday, was Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, a critic of all the executive orders mandating lockdowns since March. The other petitioners are Sens. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, Brian Dahle, R-Redding, Shannon Grove, R-Yucca Valley, Melissa Hurtado, D-Hanford, Brian Jones, R-El Cajon, Jim Nielsen, R- Roseville, and Scott Wilk, R-Lancaster; Sen.-elect Rosilicie Bogh, R-Rancho Cucamonga, and Assemblywoman Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara.
"We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reclassify restaurants as essential businesses and adopt the industry's protocols that would allow restaurants to operate safely,'' the letter reads. "The future of thousands of restaurants, their employees and the unique character of our local communities are dependent on the survival of this industry."
The petitioners pointed out that in 2019, 1.8 million jobs statewide were tied to the restaurant and food service industry. Roughly 60% of eateries are owned by people of color, and 50% are owned or partially owned by women, according to the lawmakers' letter.
The California Restaurant Association last week prevailed in a case against Los Angeles County related to public health-mandated restaurant closures earlier this year. However, the industry has not filed suit challenging the governor's decree.
The current closures are connected to Newsom's limited stay-at home order issued on Nov. 19, as well as the broader regional order he signed on Dec. 3, citing rapidly escalating coronavirus infection rates.
"The bottom line is, if we don't act now, our hospital system will be overwhelmed,'' he said. "If we don't act now, we'll continue to see the
death rate climb, more lives lost."
As of Monday, Riverside County has reported over 900 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, including 184 patients in the ICU due to the virus.
Riverside County also dropped to 0% ICU bed availability on Monday meaning many hospitals will be moving into their surge plans. This involves converting rooms to create additional ICU space. The plans vary by hospital, but our local hospitals have been prepared for this scenario, officials said last month.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
