At the Emergency City Council meeting of March 17, 2020, in an effort to further protect Palm Springs residents, workers and visitors from the rapidly increasing threat of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the City Council gave unanimous direction to the City Manager – as the City’s Director of Emergency Services – to issue a new emergency order under his declaration of a local emergency advising all residents to shelter-in-place and limit activities to only those essential to their daily lives and to close to the public all non-essential businesses, excluding a list of 21 essential businesses which will be outlined in the emergency order and posted on the City’s website later today. A partial list of essential businesses includes grocery stores, health services, pharmacies, banks and gas stations. A link to San Francisco’s Public Health Order can be found at https://bit.ly/2xMUr2C

The emergency order is effective Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 7 a.m. and will remain in effect until April 2, 2020, when the City Council will consider if an extension is necessary. This order is modeled after the actions taken by the City of San Francisco and recognizes the urgency with which the City of Palm Springs must act to aggressively contain the continued spread of novel coronavirus in our community.

“There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our residents, workforce, and visitors,” said Palm Springs Mayor Geoff Kors. “Given the rapid spread of COVID-19, and the long incubation period, the action of the City Council closing all non-essential businesses and having people stay in place will help prevent more infections, illnesses and deaths. The faster we all take proactive measures the faster we will get through this, saving lives and helping residents, workers and businesses get through this with the least amount of harm. I want to thank our City Staff, especially our public safety professionals, health care workers, businesses and residents who have acted with such kindness and concern for each other. We are in this together and we will get through it together.”