California Governor Gavin Newsom announced July 1 that the California Department of Public Health requires all counties that have been on the COVID-19 Monitoring List for at least three consecutive days to move certain sectors to outdoor operations.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced July 1 that the California Department of Public Health requires all counties that have been on the COVID-19 Monitoring List for at least three consecutive days to move certain sectors to outdoor operations. Sacramento is one of the 19 counties on list, and the County has amended its Public Health Order to reflect the requirement. The Order is now in effect.

Sectors to close indoor operations include:

• Restaurants
• Wineries and Tasting Rooms
• Movie Theaters
• Family Entertainment Centers (such as batting cages and bowling alleys)
• Museums and Zoos
• Cardrooms

Additionally, the County Public Health Department ordered all bars, brewpubs, breweries, wineries, tasting rooms and pubs to close and cease operations, both indoor and outdoor. Restaurants in Sacramento County may continue with outdoor seating and takeout and delivery services.

Both local and state health orders still prohibit gatherings of any size with people who are not part of your immediate household.

For questions about the Public Health Order, call the Sacramento County Public Health hotline at 916-875-2400. For information about Sacramento County COVID-19 cases and public health directives, visit covid19.SacCounty.net. To learn more about the City of Folsom's response to slow the spread of COVID-19, visit www.folsom.ca.us/covid-19.

City of Folsom Programs and Facilities Update

In response to new state directive and county public health Orders, the City of Folsom announced changes to its programs and amenities.

CLOSED:

The Andy Morin Sports Complex is closed to the public effective 5 p.m. Thursday, July 2 until further notice.

The Folsom Public Library building is closed to the public effective 5 p.m. Thursday, July 2 until further notice. Curbside service will continue.

The Folsom Senior Center, Folsom Public Art Center, and Gallery at 48 Natoma remain closed to the public.

OPEN:

Summer camps for kids and teens that take place outdoors will continue as planned; selections include zookeeper camps and a variety of sports camps.

The Steve Miklos Aquatic Center is open for morning and evening lap swim and aquacise. Note that the aquatic center is closed Saturday, July 4.

The Folsom Skate and Bike Parks at Cummings Family Park are open from 1 to 7 p.m. daily. Note that the hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4.

Folsom's public parks and recreational trails are open to the public. Gatherings of groups are limited to only those individuals who are members of your immediate household. Structured or organized games, scrimmages, leagues, and tournaments are prohibited. Park and trail users must maintain social distancing at all times.

Park amenities that are open to the public include tennis, 2x2 volleyball, bocce ball, ball walls, and single/double pickleball.

FIDO Field Dog Park is open daily, from 7 a.m. to one hour after sunset. Note that the dog park is closed to the public every Wednesday for maintenance.

The water feature at Livermore Community Park is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, starting Saturday, July 4. The water features at Kemp Park and Nisenan Park are undergoing repairs and are anticipated to open later in July.

As an outdoor zoo, the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary plans to reopen Friday, July 17. Admission will only be available by advance online ticket purchase. The zoo sanctuary's summer hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until further notice. The zoo giftshop building will remain closed until further notice.

Library Building Closed to the Public, Curbside Service Offered

Because of an increase in COVID-19 cases and updated public health recommendations, the Folsom Public Library building will be closed to the public effective Friday, July 3. Beginning Tuesday, July 7, the library will adjust its curbside service hours to provide additional afternoon and evening access to library books and materials. Curbside service will be available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Noon to 6 p.m. and Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hold items will be automatically checked out to customers for six weeks and can be picked up curbside when notified.

Exterior book returns will be reopened beginning Tuesday, July 7. The library is not accepting donated items in the book return boxes at this time. For the safety of library patrons and staff, borrowed books and other materials will continue to be held for a minimum of three days after they are returned before being checked in. Learn more at www.folsom.ca.us/library.

City of Folsom Services

Folsom City Hall remains open to the public during regular business hours. City services are operating as usual, including police, fire, ambulance, garbage, recycling, planning, inspection, and permitting services.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by unanticipated changes to our city programs and facilities as we respond to evolving public health mandates. The health and safety of our city staff, participants, and community remains our top priority. We will continue to monitor and follow COVID-19 community mitigation guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of California, and the Sacramento County Department of Public Health.

City of Folsom COVID-19 Update

Sacramento County continues to see a day-over-day rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, with 31 new COVID-19 cases in Folsom in the last two weeks.

The best defense against COVID-19 continues to be:

• Staying at home and physical distancing
• Wearing a face covering wherever possible
• Washing hands frequently
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding being around people with COVID-19 symptoms

Face Coverings Available for Folsom Businesses ' Now Including Face Shields

The City of Folsom is distributing free face coverings to Folsom businesses to assist with reopening efforts.

Businesses can pick up face coverings from the Folsom Public Library at 411 Stafford Street by appointment only. Businesses must complete a registration form and schedule a pickup time. Face coverings, including paper face masks and plastic face shields, will be distributed to local businesses as supplies last.

The California Office of Emergency Services provided the face coverings for businesses unable to obtain personal protective equipment. This onetime allocation is available as supply chains stabilize.

Learn more and register at www.folsom.ca.us/BusinessFaceCoverings.

Dine at Home Sacramento Meal Program for Seniors

The new Dine at Home Sacramento program provides prepared and delivered meals for qualifying adults age 60 and older. The program is designed to minimize exposure to COVID-19 for high-risk individuals age 60+ by reducing their need to shop in public venues for food.

Dine at Home Sacramento is operated by Sacramento County Agency on Aging/Area 4 and funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Dine at Home Sacramento is a temporary program during the COVID-19 pandemic; the program will end when funds are exhausted.

The program provides 14 meals per week at no cost for qualifying participants. The meals are prepared and delivered by local participating restaurants two to three times per week. To qualify for the program, participants must be age 60 or older, and live in the City of Folsom, or in the unincorporated area of Sacramento County, or in the cities of Galt or Isleton. Individuals who currently receive home-delivered meals from Meals on Wheels by ACC are not eligible; however, those who did not qualify for the Great Plates Delivered program may meet the eligibility requirements for the Dine at Home Sacramento program.

Adults age 60+ who live in Folsom and want to enroll in the free meal program can call 2-1-1 and ask to be referred to Dine at Home Sacramento. Callers can learn more about the program and will be asked a series of questions to determine their eligibility for the program, and the information callers provide will remain confidential. The 2-1-1 phone service is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Statewide Face Covering Order

Face coverings are an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. Californians are required to wear face coverings or masks in public spaces under astatewide health mandate intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Face coverings are required at all indoor City of Folsom facilities.

Under the statewide mandate, face coverings or masks are required while:

• Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space.
• Obtaining healthcare services.
• Waiting for or riding public transportation, including ridesharing and taxis.
• In the workplace, when interacting in-person with the public or working in space visited by the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time.
• Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others.
• Working in or walking through common areas such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities.
• In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person's own household) are present when unable to physically distance.
• Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, private care service, or ridesharing vehicles when passengers are present.
• Outdoors when maintaining 6-feet social distancing from persons not members of the same household is not possible.

Individuals may be exempt from wearing a face covering including, for example, persons age 2 years or younger, persons with a medical condition, mental health condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering, persons who are hearing impaired or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication, and persons engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running while maintaining a 6-foot distance from others.

According to the California Department of Public Health, a growing body of scientific research has shown that people with no or few symptoms of COVID-19 can still spread the disease and that the use of face coverings, combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing, will reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Read the full Order at bit.ly/CAFaceCovering. Stay up-to-date on the latest Folsom COVID-19 impacts at www.folsom.ca.us/covid-19.

Safely Celebrate the Fourth of July

For most residents, the Fourth of July is going to look different this year.

Sacramento County Public Health officials urge people to take necessary safety precautions this Independence Day and remind residents that gatherings of any size with people who are not part of your immediate household are still prohibited by both local and state health orders. Block parties are not allowed in the City of Folsom at this time.

Many residents will be celebrating the Fourth of July at home with fireworks. With a little care and common sense, fireworks can be a safe and fun activity for everyone. The Folsom Fire Department offers these important tips to stay safe this Fourth of July:

• Be sure to purchase 'Safe and Sane' fireworks that bear the State Fire Marshal's seal.
• Fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal in California, unless if you have a fire department permit.
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place.
• Read and follow all directions.
• When using legal fireworks, only set them off outdoors in a clear area that is away from homes, dry leaves, grass, and other flammable materials.
• Supervise children and be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Always have a bucket of water for disposal of fireworks and a hose connected to water in case of fire.
• Do not try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
• Fireworks are prohibited in all city-owned properties and parks except at the Lembi Community Park parking lot. Gatherings of any size with people who are not part of your immediate household are still prohibited by both local and state health orders.

The use of fireworks on all trails and open spaces in the City of Folsom is prohibited.

City of Folsom Closed Friday

City of Folsom administrative offices and Folsom City Hall will be closed Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day holiday. All emergency services will continue; call 9-1-1 for life-threatening emergencies. Garbage and recycling collection service will continue as well.

For urgent city issues, call 916-355-7231. City Hall will return to normal public business hours Monday, July 6.

Stay Informed

The city is updating its website as new information becomes available. Stay informed about the City of Folsom's response to COVID-19 at www.folsom.ca.us/covid-19. Contact us at www.folsom.ca.us/contactus.

Follow us online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Nextdoor.

In collaboration with federal and state agencies, the Sacramento County Department of Public Health is the lead agency managing response to local novel coronavirus testing, investigations, coordination with health providers, and public information. Learn more at www.saccounty.net.