By Malachy666 @ Shutterstock.com
Rural Modoc County in northeastern California has decided to defy lockdown orders from Sacramento. This is the sort of localized approach taken by the Swiss cantons on many issues and solidified among America’s county sheriffs by Richard Mack in his fight against federal control over sheriffs. Breaking up the power of Washington D.C. by spreading out federal offices would help as well. The Blaze reports on Modoc County’s resistance, writing:
A rural county in California is defying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders and allowing churches, schools, and non-essential businesses to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Modoc County, located in the far northeast corner of California, is open for business. The sparsely populated county of 9,686 residents has allowed bars, restaurants, hair salons, movie theaters, schools, churches, and other non-essential businesses to reopen.
As of Friday, non-essential businesses could reopen as long as employees wash hands and follow proper social distancing guidelines of six feet. Restaurants and bars would have to slash their maximum capacity in half. Large gatherings where social distancing cannot be maintained are not permitted. The Modoc County Sheriff’s Office and the county’s public health department requires residents who are 65 or older or have underlying health conditions to continue to stay at home.
“Social distancing was the norm here before it became the popular thing in the state,” Ned Coe, a cattle rancher and county supervisor, told Sacramento’s NBC affiliate KCRA-TV.
“This is simply what we are proposing that is eligible to open if preventative measures are possible,” the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “We want the option to be given to business owners so that when they feel the time is right, they can make that decision. Business owners know their staff, they know their customers and they will know when they both feel safe enough to resume services.”
Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to reopen after consulting with health officials. The county has no confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“Just as our physical health is vital for our citizens, so is the mental health and the economic health of our citizens,” Coe said.
Coe understands that his county is violating Newsom’s lockdown orders, and informed the governor of his plans to reopen Modoc County. Coe said that Newsom had yet to respond.
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