SOME CALIFORNIA COUNTIES BAN NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL

A month-long curfew is starting Saturday for California counties in the purple tier with widespread cases of the coronavirus.

KCRA 3 News reported that the new stay-at-home order stops nonessential travel from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in counties in the purple COVID-19 tier until Dec. 21.

One area impacted is Yuba-Sutter counties. The new curfew was announced on the same day that the region set a grim record for highest new daily cases reported since the pandemic started.

According to a county spokesman, the one and only hospital serving both counties is on the verge of implementing its surge plan because of rising COVID hospitalizations. Adventist + Rideout hospital beds are being overwhelmed as cases increase, which has prompted the county’s Office of Emergency Services to urge the community to wear masks and avoid social gatherings.

Some residents, like eighth grade teacher David West, agree with the state’s decision for a curfew.

“I will do anything that they ask me to try and keep safe. I would like to get back to our classroom someday, but I want to be safe. And if this will help stop the spread, or at least slow it, then I’m all for it,” West said.

But others, like Brock and Julie Bowen, do not agree with the new curfew.

“I think we gotta open up sometime and the sooner the better,” said Brock Bowen.

The Bowens said they are recovering from the coronavirus after testing positive in an urgent care on Nov. 2.

“I got it from a small gathering, and then four other people got it from the same small gathering and then we gave it to all of our husbands. So from that small gathering, 10 people that I know of ended up with COVID,” said Julie Bowen. “Everyone’s doing pretty good. A couple people have pneumonia, so it’s gone from COVID into pneumonia, so other than that, we’re all doing good.”

Bowen said she does not regret socializing with her friends.

“I regret giving my husband COVID, but I don’t regret going to the gathering,” she said. “It was the first time I had been with these friends for a while and so it felt good to be with friends.”

At 74 and 63 years old, the couple said even after catching COVID themselves, they do not think the curfew will be effective.