Neighbor having a big party during the pandemic? Local business just ignoring state facemask mandate? People crowding at a local park without social distancing?
Who you gonna call?
If in Santa Ana, try (714) 647-4747. That’s the number to the city’s new “COVID Compliance Center.”
In what may be a first for an Orange County city, officials have created a dedicated phone line to take complaints about possible violations during the pandemic.
A city employee who is knowledgeable about local and state orders will take calls during the work week, offering expertise about potential health order violations. The city worker will refer complaints to various agencies as needed, including code enforcement and police. Residents who call the hotline after hours will be asked to leave a message or will be redirected to police if urgent.
“We’ve been getting questions and calls from people about everything, from what are the new rules they need to follow to they’ve seen a business not complying with the rules,” said city spokesman Paul Eakins.
“We decided with this latest stay at home order (from the state,) it would make sense to have a single number to call.”
Southern California is under a stay-at-home order, with a 10 p.m. curfew, because the region’s hospital capacity for intensive care unit beds has fallen below 15 %, triggering the order. On Thursday, Dec. 10, it hit the lowest mark yet: 7.9 %.
Santa Ana residents are among the most pandemic affected in the county. As of Thursday, the city had the highest number of reported cases, 18,452, of any city in Orange County – a rate of nearly 5,465 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The city has been tackling the pandemic through its Santa Ana CARES program, which includes a mobile resource center that goes into neighborhoods to offer free COVID-19 testing, as well as financial assistance to renters, landlords and local businesses hurting from the pandemic.
The new phone line offers officials “another tool” to keep the community safe, Eakins said. “It’s part of our city’s comprehensive approach to addressing the pandemic with financial assistance, health support, testing, education and free masks.”
Last week, City Manager Kristine Ridge signed a new executive order mandating face masks in public when within 6 feet of people from other households. The order aligned with an existing state mandate and allows local authorities to issue citations.
Eakins said the city’s mask order is “a tool we have if we need to use it, but we really hope people will comply.”
Santa Ana officials continue to focus, meanwhile, on educating the public about what to do to avoid getting themselves and other people sick, rather than giving out fines. But, if needed, Eakins said police and other city employees will write up the violators. Code enforcement inspectors were already responding to complaints of businesses not following the rules. One restaurant, for example, was recently told to shut down its live music and dancing.
Officials are banking on residents and others using good judgment on when to call the new hotline. The number is there to report unauthorized gatherings, businesses not following safety protocols or other concerns. But Eakins asked: “Please don’t call the number every time you see someone not wearing a mask.”
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