Sherman R. Frederick
Marinscope
In the middle of September 2020, Marin finds itself with worries on multiple fronts. Wildfires nearby burn unabated, unhealthy red skies loom overhead as if the apocalypse were near, and the COVID-19 pandemic bedevils the local economy.
On the COVID019 front, Marin health officials and California officials wrestled with the numbers to determine whether Marin can be allowed to advance from the “purple” tier to the “red” tier. Marin thought it should have already advanced, but the state’s calculations showed differently.
This week Marin businesses hoped for clarity on the subject, as a “red” status would allow for indoor commerce and a significant advancement for the county’s struggling economy.
The advancements would mean retail establishments would be allowed to open indoors at 50% capacity and indoor malls would be allowed to open at 50% capacity.
Personal care services could open indoors, museums could open indoors with 25% capacity and churches and synagogues could open their doors to worship with 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
Movie theaters could open at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer and gyms could open indoors with 10% capacity. Also, restaurants could start getting back to normal with indoor seating at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
As of Sept. 10, the data points for the county showed 4,170 confirmed cases of the virus with 3,856 people recovered. Deaths in Marin were logged in at 73 with only 14 people currently hospitalized with the disease.
Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s top health officer, said a solution to Marin’s proper tier would be negotiated this week. Willis said it “appeared likely” California would allow Marin to move to the “red” tier.
On the wildfire front, Gov. Gavin Newsom faced another bad wildfire season on his watch and grew frustrated with those who blamed his administration for failure to prepare.
Last week while taking a look at the North Complex Fire in Butte County, the governor said the record-setting California fire season, which has already burned more than 3 million acres, is happening because of climate change.
“It’s happening in unprecedented ways. Year in, year out. You can exhaust yourself with your ideological B.S. … but the reality here is the megafires that we’re experiencing come from these megadroughts that we’re experiencing.”
The San Francisco Chronicle, however, reported this week that while climate change may be part of the problem, a significant factor is forest mis-management that has taken place over decades on both state and federal lands.
Experts cited in the Chronicle piece said to better contain the mega-fires, the state will need to better manage forests, which means a drastic expansion of prescribed burning.
Climate change or better management, Marin residents suffered through a sustained period of dark red skies caused by the smoke. The county warned residents that the atmosphere was unhealthy and several cities in the county opened up special facilities, despite the COVID-19 restrictions, to give people a respite from the unhealthy air.
The smoke was so bad that at times street lights in Marin cities were on at noon. In Santa Clara on Sunday, the National Football League almost called off the season opener for the 49ers due to unhealthy air. But the game did go on and the 49ers dropped a close one to the Arizona Cardinals, 24-20.
The one fire in Marin proper is the Woodward Fire, which is now 95% contained. It started on Aug. 19 and burned just under 5,000 acres.
(You can reach Sherman Frederick at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
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