Regional Stay at Home Order would go into effect after 48 hours in regions with less than 15 percent ICU availability

Regional Stay at Home Orders will prohibit travel except as necessary for permitted activities, close operations for certain sectors and require 100 percent masking and physical distancing in all others

Schools currently open can remain open and retailers can operate indoors at no more than 20 percent capacity to reduce exposure risk

New order is a modification of the state’s initial Stay at Home Order signed in March and builds on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy

SACRAMENTO – As COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations continue to rise at an alarming pace and threaten to overwhelm the health care delivery system, California health officials today announced a Regional Stay at Home Order that will be triggered if Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity drops below 15 percent in a given region. State health officials are tracking the state by five regions: Northern California, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. No regions currently meet this threshold but some are projected to as early as this week. When the Order is triggered in a region, it will have 48 hours to adopt the new order. Residents are required to stay at home as much as possible and minimize mixing to reduce unnecessary exposure, while still being able to do important things like go to the doctor, buy groceries, pick up take out, go on a hike, or worship outdoors. K-12 schools that are already open can remain open and retailers can operate indoors at no more than 20 percent capacity to reduce exposure risk.   

The five regions are:    
·       Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity  ·       Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma 
·       Greater Sacramento: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba 
·       San Joaquin Valley: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne 
·       Southern California: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura   

Regions will remain in the Regional Stay at Home Order status for at least three weeks once triggered. Counties are eligible to come off the Regional Stay at Home Order after three weeks if their hospital ICU capacity projected four weeks out reaches 15 percent. Counties will return to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy tier determined by their case rate and test positivity after they are eligible to exit the Regional Stay at Home Order.    

“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” said Governor Newsom. “By invoking a Stay at Home Order for regions where ICU capacity falls below 15 percent, we can flatten the curve as we’ve done before and reduce stress on our health care system. I’m clear-eyed that this is hard on all of us — especially our small businesses who are struggling to get by. That’s why we leaned in to help our small business owners with new grants and tax relief to help us get through this month. If we stay home as much as possible, and wear masks when we have to go to the doctor, shop for groceries or go for a hike, California can come out of this in a way that saves lives and puts us on a path toward economic recovery.”    “We know what a struggle this pandemic has been for so many California families, but our actions have saved countless lives,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary. “This targeted action will preserve vital ICU beds for people who need them — whether they’re COVID-19 patients or someone who has suffered a heart attack or a stroke.”   

“Staying home for three weeks is a sacrifice, but if every Californian did that for a month, we could stop this disease in its tracks,” said Dr. Erica Pan, Acting State Public Health Officer. “This public health order strikes the balance between saving lives, providing essential services that we all rely on and still allowing Californians to participate in lower-risk outdoor activities that are crucial for our physical and mental health.”   

The terms of the Regional Stay at Home Order closely mirror the March order, with some variations.    

What does the Regional Stay at Home Order do?    

The Regional Stay at Home Order would be in effect for 3 weeks after the trigger and instructs Californians to stay at home as much as possible to limit the mixing with other households that can lead to COVID-19 spread. It allows access to (including travel for) critical services and allows outdoor activities to preserve Californians’ physical and mental health. This limited closure will help stop the surge and prevent overwhelming regional ICU capacity.    

In any region that triggers a Regional Stay at Home Order because it drops below 15 percent ICU capacity, all operations in the following sectors must be closed:    

·       Indoor and Outdoor Playgrounds
·       Indoor Recreational Facilities 
·       Hair Salons and Barbershops 
·       Personal Care Services 
·       Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums 
·       Movie Theaters 
·       Wineries 
·       Bars, Breweries, and Distilleries 
·       Family Entertainment Centers 
·       Cardrooms and Satellite Wagering 
·       Casinos 
·       Limited Services 
·       Live Audience Sports 
·       Amusement Parks   

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100 percent masking and physical distancing:    ·       Outdoor Recreational Facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted. 
·       Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.  ·       Shopping Centers: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems. 
·       Hotels and Lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only. 
·       Restaurants: Allow only for take-out or pick-up. 
·       Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible. 
·       Places of Worship: Allow outdoor services only. 
·       Entertainment Production including Professional Sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.   

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100 percent masking and physical distancing:   
·       Critical Infrastructure 
·       Schools that are already open for in-person learning 
·       Non-urgent medical and dental care 
·       Child care and pre-K   

When does a Regional Stay at Home Order end?    

The Regional Stay at Home Order will be implemented regionally once there is less than 15 percent ICU capacity remaining in the designated region. After three weeks from the start of the Stay-at-Home Order, the following criteria would apply:   

1.      End for a county in a region if the region’s ICU capacity projected out four weeks (from three weeks since the Stay-at-Home Order started) is above or equal to 15 percent. Each county in the region would be assigned to a tier based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. 

2.      Remain in effect in a county if the region’s ICU capacity projected out four weeks (from three weeks since the Stay-at-Home Order started) is less than 15 percent. The order would remain in effect until the region’s ICU capacity meets criteria (1) above. This would be assessed on a weekly basis.   

Can we people go outside?    Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by safely going to a park, a beach, hike, walk or bike ride when safe to do so and socially distanced. Californians are also encouraged to keep connected with loved ones virtually.

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The move reflects practical considerations, according to Charles Ford Champion II, president and chief executive officer of the association, as well as common ground on issues that relate to employment and certain labor initiatives that threaten distribution and personal income.

“More and more, editors and publishers of print and digital publications rely on freelance journalists to help supplement coverage of important local news, especially when staff resources are constrained by expertise or finances,” he said.

“Journalism today is no longer the sole province of news enterprises,” said Champion. “More and more our members rely on access to freelance journalism talent to gather and report news that is important to their readers.”

“The Board feels strongly that CNPA can provide a ‘marketplace’ to facilitate these connections,” he continued. “It is in line with our mission to promote and protect free press and journalism. With freelance talent and editors in closer proximity to one another through membership, we can achieve greater levels of collaboration.”

As members, freelancers will be able to access CNPA’s full range of Associate Member services, including access to the CNPA Legal Helpline, member rates for all attendees at CNPA meetings, a directory listing and inclusion in subscriptions to CNPA communications and publications.

The unanimous vote to include freelancers in its member ranks takes effect immediately.

For an application, please visit cnpa.com.

-CNPA

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On May 28, 2020, Charles F. “Chuck” Champion has been named President and CEO of the California News Publishers Association (CNPA), a newly created position that reflects the Association’s approach to economic and political dynamics that present unprecedented opportunities and challenges.

In his position, Champion will implement a revitalized strategic direction and manage CNPA’s transition to a staff-led organization. The appointment was unanimously ratified by the Association Board and takes effect immediately.

Champion is the former publisher of newspapers in Santa Clarita and Pasadena and a top executive with large circulation papers in Chicago (Sun-Times), Philadelphia (Inquirer), Orange County (Register) and Los Angeles (Daily News). He was head of CNPA’s Board when he was asked to assume the responsibilities of long-time executive director Tom Newton, who retired after 30 years of service.

“The Board has watched Chuck operate this quarter and, in a short period of time, he has transformed CNPA on almost every level,” said current Board President Simon Grieve. “He has rallied our members and reallocated resources to create a heightened sense of urgency in representing the needs of the industry during COVID-19.

“Chuck was the Board’s unanimous choice to lead the organization,” Grieve continued. “He knows his way around newsrooms, accounting offices and executive suites. That experience informs his leadership and his strategic approach. He’ll be a tremendous asset.”

“The Board and staff are setting a dynamic new course for the Association at a time when the need for a free press has never been more critical. Even in this disruptive environment, community newspapers are providing critical information as a public service through both print and web-accessible content,” said Champion. “COVID-19 is accelerating the need for change in the industry, and CNPA has to lead the development of business models that publications can use to transition to profitable digital platforms to serve a growing population of diverse, technology-savvy news consumers.”

The new CNPA CEO is no stranger to businesses in transition. He has rescued publicly traded companies from the brink of extinction, restructured weekly and daily newspapers to ensure their survival, and successfully managed organizations facing complex regulatory issues.

Champion’s CEO title, according to Grieve, reflects the Board’s support for his intentional direction within the Association. To accommodate the change, the titles for other CNPA positions have been revised. Grieve, for example, will become Chairman of the Board and the President-elect will be Vice Chairman.

CNPA has a long history of successful advocacy for free speech and freedom of the press. It was instrumental in enactment of legislation on open meetings, freedom of information, and live video coverage of government meetings. Over the years, the organization has earned the support of California Governors Pat Brown, Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

News of Champion’s new role was lauded by Darius Anderson, owner of the “The Press Democrat” and several other North Bay publications.

“Chuck is a successful newspaperman and businessperson who can help unite the industry to gain financial and legislative relief that could literally save local journalism in the state. He knows how to lead and build consensus,” said Anderson.

“Chuck is committed to the ethnic press and its inclusion in the CNPA,” said Paulette Brown-Hinds, who owns Black Voice News and is a past CNPA Board President. “He is the kind of leader that understands the value of diversity and the role that ethnic publications have in community building. He is going to act on his beliefs, and it will benefit the entire industry.”

Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, who served with Champion on the Board of a publicly traded company where Champion was chairman and chief executive, observed, “Chuck is smart, tireless and makes it his business to stay on top of the details. He is a strategic thinker who communicates effectively and has great motivation skills especially during periods of crisis. CNPA will be glad they have him.”

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This is a time of unparalleled discord. We are rightly horrified by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We are legitimately frustrated by a pandemic that has threatened lives and livelihoods in unprecedented magnitude. We sympathize with protests, but like most others we cannot comprehend or condone violent attacks on fellow citizens and their property.

Through it all, first responders have bravely dealt with disease, unrest and violence. That group of heroes includes news reporters: men and women who arrive at the front lines armed with pens, tablets and smartphones, who rush to dangerous scenes so we might know what’s at risk, what choices we have, and what resources are accessible. They deserve the same kind of respect and protection against harassment and harm that we afford police, fire and health workers.

I’ve been an eyewitness as head of the 400-member California News Publishers Association. Reporters are parked at the scene gathering the news, risking infection and bodily harm, and filtering fact from fiction so that we might act in lifesaving ways for our good and the good of all our neighbors.

This work of gathering news and telling stories is less dramatic, perhaps, than a medic caring for a coronavirus patient in ICU or a fireman racing to the fire. But it is no less impactful. For journalists are the conduit for informed engagement, which is the lifeblood of our democracy. From their pens come the impetus that moves entire populations to think, to decide, to act.

To fully understand the import of such service, we need only visit the stories in our local news outlets filed by correspondents in harm’s way. These aren’t just first drafts of history. They are the transcripts of the warnings, dreads, pleas and consolations that inform communities and provide the raw material for both decision-making and community resolve.

What makes these drafts so powerful is their honesty in the face of tragedy. It is the work of first responders trained in truth-telling, plying their skills to inject our understanding with facts so that we can more ably ward off fears from the unknown and the unfounded.

The point is that news outlets — and the reporters who have braved their way into the places where virus spreads and chaos erupts — are critical to public safety and community well-being. Indeed, their stories are the proof points that inform and instigate our engagement in the resolution to problems ranging from systemic racism to economic hardship.

During these times, it is vital that communities continue to have access to the type of authoritative information that journalists provide. They must be protected from violence while engaging in newsgathering activities. Additionally, to the extent public officials decide that curfew orders are necessary to protect public safety, the media must be designated as essential and specifically exempt from these orders.

At this moment in time, we pray that the work of journalists in California will be the catalyst that augurs for recognition of our biases and a meaningful effort to change them.

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