Citations are a worst-case scenario says the City of Chico on enforcing businesses like bars, breweries, and personal care services to shut down in the new stay-at-home order.
Butte county and the rest of the greater sacramento region will be under a stay at home order.
The region is now at a 13.3% i-c-u capacity.
Action news now reporter esteban reynoso is live in downtown chico.
Esteban, is this the order going to be enforced upon businesses?
No, alan, the city of chico is choosing to inform before issuing any citations.
Spoke with the city of chico about their role during the stay- at-home order.
"first we'll roll out an educational campaign once we receive complaints about individual businesses that remain open.
Which entails sending out a letter informing them this is the state's orders.we'll follow up with an officer visit, if we still continue to get complaints."
And as far as fining those businesses that should be closed but remain open during the stay- at-home order, it's a --- "worst case scenario, we try to have a social compact for the community to help us enforce the state orders, as well as reduce the spread of covid."
"i think the city is doing the right thing by educating and not issuing citations, that's not gonna help anybody."
Owner of aonami in downtown chico jimmy lee has been following all the guidelines since the pandemic started.
"we didn't do any dine-in, we've always been take-out, and still to this day it's always been take-out.
We've never had outside dining, or 25% capacity or 50% inside the restaurant.
It's definitely hurting business."
And even though it's taken it's toll on his business, as an owner, he understands why other businesses can't afford to close their doors.
"it's a decision of whether should we follow the state mandate, the state order, or should we break it and do dine-in to keep our business going, you do what you have to to stay afloat."
Right now several businesses have closed their doors for the night, you can see around me not that many people here in downtown chico, and right now several businesses have includes shasta, tehama, glenn, modoc and trinity counties is at 30-percent icu
Some of Butte County's local restaurants are preparing to shut down as a new stay-at-home order kicks into place.
