Another long-winded Board of Supervisors meeting was held in Riverside Friday afternoon. At issue is lifting the health restrictions in Riverside County. County health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser extended local orders that include mandatory mask wearing in public, short-term rentals, social distancing and school closures until June 19th. Almost 100 speakers voiced their opinions during the public comment period. Outside protesters once again gathered.
One speaker used his entire 2-minute allotted time to hold up the United States Flag in front of the board. His time commenced with singing the national anthem. The entire board stood up out of respect.
The board of supervisors voted 5-0 to lift Kaiser’s orders. Face coverings will no longer be required in public, but are still strongly encouraged. Individual businesses can still require them. The county must still continue to follow the state’s health orders. The county is expected to release more clarification on orders next week.
Riverside County is about to face a $100 million deficit from the pandemic. 50 percent of the budget comes from sales tax.
