Local Emergencies Declared In 4 Napa County Cities: Coronavirus

NAPA COUNTY, CA — The cities of Napa, Calistoga, St. Helena and American Canyon all declared local emergencies Sunday and Monday amid a growing number of new coronavirus cases across the Bay Area, along with statewide recommendations for social distancing, cancellation of large events and gatherings, and the closure of all bars, wineries and nightclubs.

By midday Monday, public health officials around the Bay Area had confirmed at least 258 cases of the virus, including at least four deaths. The Bay Area accounts for more than half of the confirmed cases across the state.

Seven Bay Area jurisdictions instituted a shelter-in-place order effective Tuesday through at least April 7 in an effort to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The order applies to residents in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Marin counties and the city of Berkeley.

In Napa County, a local public health emergency was declared last week by Napa County's health officer. Although there were no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus among Napa County residents as of Monday, leadership of all four cities have all now followed suit.

The risk of COVID-19 infection in Napa County appears to be moderate, according to public health officials.

"Health and safety of our community and employees is of utmost importance to all of us," Napa City Manager Steve Potter said. "The responsibility to keep our community safe is taken very seriously by city staff."

In an abundance of caution and in light of the state's recent direction — asking bars, brewpubs, nightclubs and wineries to close, as well as asking those over age 65 to self-quarantine — the Napa City Manager's Office is working to develop a path forward to respond to the evolving nature of COVID-19, according to a city news release.

Potter declared a local emergency to help local small businesses access funds available from the Small Business Association and other resources, and to provide greater authority to quickly respond to the changing nature of the situation.

The Napa City Council meeting Tuesday was canceled, but a special meeting was held Monday night for ratification of the city of Napa's emergency proclamation.

Likewise on Monday, St. Helena City Manager Mark Prestwich declared a local emergency while also calling for social distancing measures intended to reduce "the exponential growth rates of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," according to a city news release.

Social distancing is a practice recommended by public health officials to stop or slow down the spread of contagious diseases. It requires the creation of physical space of at least 6 feet among people who may spread certain infectious diseases. Residents are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing in stores, restaurants and public spaces, and to avoid mass gatherings at this time.

St. Helena city residents 65 and older are encouraged to quarantine themselves and shelter at home.

In addition to California Gov. Gavin Newsom calling for the closure of bars, wine bars and brewpubs to help stop the spread of the virus, he also encouraged choosing take-out as a food option and asked restaurants to reduce their occupancy by half to keep people farther away from each other.

"As a city, we are working to balance continuing community services while also following guidance by health professionals to slow the spread of COVID-19," St. Helena City Manager Mark Prestwich said. "Our essential services including police, fire and public works field operations will continue while City Hall and library services transition to this appointment-based approach for safety and social distancing reasons."

In the city of Calistoga, the March 17 City Council meeting, the March 18 Mayor’s Forum, the March 19 Council Goal Setting Workshop, and the March 25 Planning Commission meeting were all canceled.

All Calistoga City buildings are closed to the public with the exception of the police department lobby.

All Calistoga youth, young adult and senior recreation programs are suspended until March 31, including the Calistoga Community Pool and all aquatics programs. As previously reported, all Calistoga schools are closed through April 13. The Calistoga Boys & Girls Club is also closed.

The Calistoga Farmer’s Market is closed through March 31.

The grocery store CalMart in Calistoga has instituted a phone-in and order pickup program for seniors and residents with medical conditions who are advised to home-quarantine. Deliveries are also being offered within 1 mile of the store. For information on the preorder program, call 707-942-6271.

In the city of American Canyon, all public meetings, gatherings and recreation programs have been canceled through April 12 — the lone exception being Tuesday's City Council meeting, which residents can watch on the city's YouTube Channel or its Facebook Page.

"Importantly, American Canyon remains open for business, albeit differently than before," City Manager Jason Holley said. "While city facilities such as the treatment plants, Corporation Yard, Aquatic Center and Senior Center are now closed to the public, staff is still working at these locations to deliver services in new and different ways. Please continue to check for updates on our website for the latest information."

The cities within Napa County are all in close contact with the Napa County Public Health Department, which is in contact with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the new coronavirus. Napa County is updating its coronavirus webpage with pertinent information about the coronavirus crisis.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.