Despite the recent rescission of public health orders at the county level aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, Palm Springs will still require people to cover their faces in public under certain circumstances and socially distance until further notice, it was announced Wednesday.
People must wear face coverings “at all open businesses and in all other public settings when 6 feet distancing is not possible,” city officials said.
Coverings will no longer be required to be worn by those in the midst of outdoor activities such as walking, golfing or playing tennis, according to the officials, who said social distancing will still be required for those activities. Residents must continue to stay 6 feet away from others, unless they live in the same household or are emergency personnel wearing personal protective equipment, officials said.
Residents were also asked Wednesday to continue limiting their non-essential travel until further notice.
The new guidance comes on the heels of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voting last week to ask Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser to rescind his orders mandating face coverings and social distancing while in public, along with restricting short-term rentals and regulating golf courses.
Kaiser followed suit over the weekend. He also removed vocational schools, colleges, and universities from his order, which closed schools until June 19, while leaving in other schools including elementary, middle and high schools.
Other mandates still in effect in Palm Springs include a temporary moratorium on short-term rentals, which went into effect in March and is slated to sunset at the end of the month. The City Council is set to discuss this order at its next meeting on May 21.
The order applies to all temporary lodging, including hotels and vacation rentals like Airbnb, unless those rentals are being used for “migration and containment measures related to the spread” of COVID-19, according to the city.
Violators can be fined $5,000 for a first offense, which increases to $10,000 and $25,000 for a second and third offense, respectively, the order reads.
Mandates on community pools, golf courses, and tennis and pickleball courts were recently relaxed, although with restrictions.
To view the city orders in detail, visit www.palmspringsca.gov/government/covid-19-updates.