Riverside Sheriff Slams Newsom, Won't Enforce Stay-At-Home Order

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco condemned Gov. Gavin Newsom's threat to withhold funding from counties that choose not to enforce the new coronavirus lockdown Friday. Bianco said his department will not enforce the renewed order, which was expected to come down Sunday.

Bianco publicly decried the lockdown orders in a YouTube video posted Friday, claiming the orders were hypocritical and "dictatorial."

With a record number of COVID-19 patients filling beds in Riverside County hospitals, and ICU bed space diminishing rapidly statewide, the entirety of Southern California is on the verge of falling under the state-mandated "regional stay-at-home order."

"These closures and stay-at-home orders are flat out ridiculous," Bianco said, questioning the metrics the state was using to determine what regions would shut down and said his deputies would not enforce lockdown orders should they be imposed.

Newsom unveiled the sweeping order Thursday, saying it will be imposed in areas where ICU bed availability drops below 15 percent. The order will force the closure of many businesses including dine-in restaurants and salons, and will once again ban gatherings of people from multiple households.

As of Friday night, Southern California hospitals had just 13.1 percent capacity left in their ICU units. If it remains under 15 percent by 12:59 p.m. Saturday, the Regional Stay-at-Home Order will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The Southern California region as defined by the state includes: Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Newsom said Thursday, as he did in spring, that counties that did not enforce the lockdown order would have state funds redirected to those that did.

"He is expecting us to arrest anyone violating these orders, cite them and take their money, close their businesses, make them stay in their homes and take away their civil liberties or he will punish all of us," he said.

Bianco accused Newsom of hypocrisy and overstepping political boundaries.

"Ironically, it wasn't that long ago that our same governor loudly and publicly argued how wrong it was for the president of the United States to withhold federal funding from states not complying with federal laws," Bianco said. "The dictatorial attitude toward California residents while dining in luxury, traveling, keeping his business open and sending his kids to in-person private schools is very telling about his attitude toward California residents, his feelings about the virus, and it is extremely hypocritical."

SEE ALSO: Socal Shutdown Expected Sunday As ICU Bed Capacity Plummets

"While the Governor's Office and the state has threatened action against violators, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department will not be blackmailed, bullied or used as muscle against Riverside County residents in the enforcement of the Governor's orders," Bianco said.

According to Bianco, the sheriff's department's approach to the new orders would remain the same it has throughout the pandemic.

"The Sheriff's Department is asking and expecting Riverside County residents to act responsibly and do what they can to protect themselves and their family from contracting the virus," he said. "Wear your mask and practice social distancing."

The number of COVID-19-positive hospitalizations countywide increased by nine, up to 658 on Friday, compared to 649 on Wednesday, including 135 intensive care unit patients — 11 more than a day earlier.

Riverside County set a hospitalization record of 573 COVID-19 patients Sunday, according to RUHS spokesman Jose Arballo. In the days following, those numbers have been rising steadily.

The county Emergency Management Department has not reported any medical facility at or over capacity. However, the CEO of Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley told City News Service on Wednesday that bed space could become an issue if the current trend continues, despite extensive preparations for a second-wave surge.

Staffing shortages are also a growing concern at the hospital, which is the largest treatment facility in the western county region.

The City News Service contributed to this report.