MONO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT - Mono County Web Apps
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MONO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
P.O. BOX 3329, MAMMOTH LAKES, CA 93546
PHONE (760) 924-1830
FAX (760) 924-1831
ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER
(Immediate Closure of Tiger Bar in June Lake)
WHEREAS, Executive Order N-33-20 issued by the Governor of the State of
California on March 19, 2020 (EO N-33-20), and a corresponding Order of the State Health
Officer of the same date (“Stay-at-Home Order”), directed all persons in the State of
California to stay at home or in their place of residence in order to reduce the transmission
of COVID-19, with limited exceptions for those persons needed to maintain the continuity
of operations of critical infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, on May 7, 2020, the State Health Officer delineated California’s path
forward from the Stay-at-Home Order through California’s Resilience Roadmap
(“Roadmap”). The Roadmap identifies four stages of pandemic recovery: safety and
preparation (Stage 1); reopening of lower-risk workplaces and other spaces, subject to
restrictions (Stage 2); reopening of higher-risk workplaces and other spaces, subject to
restrictions (Stage 3); and a removal of restrictions culminating in the end of the Stay-at-
Home Order (Stage 4); and
WHEREAS, Mono County is currently in partial Stage 3 of the Roadmap pursuant
to a variance issued by the California Department of Public Health which allows in-person
dining and bars to operate, provided they follow applicable State, federal and local health
orders; and
WHEREAS, the Stay-at-Home Order and Roadmap require all reopened
businesses to adhere to guidelines issued by the State Public Health Officer and California
Department of Public Health (CDPH) and applicable federal and local requirements. These
include, but are not limited to: CDPH’s “COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Restaurants, Bars,
and Wineries”; CDPH’s “Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings”; and Mono County’s
“Interim Guidelines for Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic” (collectively
“Guidelines”); and
WHEREAS, all restaurants and bars in Mono County, including the Tiger Bar,
were authorized to reopen in compliance with the Guidelines. Upon reopening, the Tiger
Bar did not effectively implement compliance with the Guidelines to ensure socialdistancing, the use of face coverings by employees, appropriate signage, or sanitation and
is therefore in violation of State and local requirements. The relevant facts are as follows:
1. On May 25, 2020, the Tiger Bar self-attested through the County of Mono’s
business portal (“Portal”) that it would reopen in accordance with all applicable
State, federal and local requirements applicable to the operation of businesses
generally, and restaurants specifically. By registering on the Portal, the Tiger
Bar certified that it read and will implement and comply with all State, local
and federal guidance (all of which is provided through the Portal).
2. Between May 25 and June 8, 2020, Mono County received multiple separate
complaints from members of the public concerning noncompliance by the Tiger
Bar with State and local requirements regarding the wearing of face coverings
and social distancing on the premises.
3. On June 8, 2020, Louis Molina, Mono County Environmental Health Manager
(“Molina”), visited the Tiger Bar and noted that the cook was not wearing a
mask. This violates a Mono County Public Health Officer Order issued April
30, 2020, which provides that “Employees at restaurants and other
establishments providing for on-site food consumption . . . shall wear face
coverings.” Molina also noted that customers at the bar were not socially
distanced. He advised on-site staff of the violations, issued a written report
noting the violations, and was told by the bartender that the establishment would
thereafter comply.
4. On June 9, 2020, Mono County received a complaint that condiments were
located on patron tables at the Tiger Bar in violation of CDPH’s “COVID-19
Industry Guidance: Restaurants, Bars, and Wineries”, which is applicable to the
Tiger Bar. Molina contacted Jill Wallentine, manager of the Tiger Bar, by phone
on June 10, 2020. Ms. Wallentine orally agreed to remove all condiments from
tables.
5. June 13, 2020, Ms. Wallentine left a voice message for Molina stating that she
and her staff were having difficulties wearing face coverings and would not be
wearing them. The message additionally stated that she would post signs for
customers indicating that anyone who has a problem with her staff not wearing
face coverings should go somewhere else.
6. On June 15, 2020, Molina called Ms. Wallentine regarding her message.
Molina told Ms. Wallentine that the Tiger Bar must comply with health and
safety guidance related to COVID-19, including face covering mandates and
social distancing. He informed her that the County would pursue further legal
action if the Tiger Bar did not comply.
Page 2 of 57. On the June 15, 2020, phone call Molina asked Ms. Wallentine if she would
like him to send her the State and local guidance applicable to the Tiger Bar.
Ms. Wallentine stated that she did not need it, as she had already accessed it
through the State’s and County’s websites and knew the requirements. The
business reopening attestation on Mono County’s Business Portal and
completed by the Tiger Bar lists Ms. Wallentine as the person in charge of
implementing compliance. She told Molina on the call that the Tiger Bar would
comply with applicable requirements, including face coverings and social
distancing.
8. On June 24, 2020, Mono County received a complaint that the bar area of the
Tiger Bar was crowded with patrons who were not socially-distanced and were
not wearing masks. The complainant reported that the manager was circulating
among and hugging customers in the bar and was not wearing a mask.
9. On June 26, 2020, County of Mono Public Health Officer Dr. Tom Boo, M.D.,
visited the Tiger Bar and observed a lack of required signage regarding face
coverings and social distancing; patrons sitting at and gathering around the bar
without adequate distance or barriers between each other and staff; the
bartender wearing her mask around her neck or dangling from one ear and
conversing loudly with bar patrons who were not socially-distanced; two other
staff persons in the dining area with masks not covering their noses; what
appeared to be clean napkins and cutlery ready for use on a large table near the
door at which a patron was eating “to go” food; and a person, possibly a
customer or the manager, behind the bar talking with the bartender while neither
was appropriately wearing a face covering.
Despite Mono County’s repeated efforts to educate and enforce Health Officer Orders and
State requirements for COVID-19, the Tiger Bar’s failure to safely operate in-person dining
and bar activities on its premises is an imminent health and safety risk and an imminent
health hazard for its employees and the public.
NOW, THEREFORE, under the authority of California Health and Safety Code sections
101040, 101085, 120175 and 120175.5 and Title 17 California Code of Regulations,
Section 2501, the Mono County Health Officer HEREBY ORDERS as follows:
1. The Tiger Bar restaurant located at 2620 Highway 158, in June Lake, Mono
County, California is hereby closed.
2. In order to reopen to the public, the owner/operator shall submit to the Mono County
Environmental Health Manager a copy of the Tiger Bar’s worksite-specific operations
plan, together with a signed commitment to comply with that plan and all applicable
3State and local requirements for the safe operation of a bar/restaurant. The Public
Health Officer may rescind this Order if it can be shown that State and local
requirements for social distancing, face coverings, signage, sanitation and other
applicable requirements will be followed at the Tiger Bar.
3. Violation of this Order is subject to fine, imprisonment, or both. (California Health
and Safety Code section 120295). Notification regarding the issuance of this Order
will be sent to California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverages Control.
4. This Order may be enforced by the Mono County Sheriff pursuant to Government
Code sections 26602 and 41601 and Health and Safety Code section 101029.
General Provisions
1. This Order is issued based on evidence of transmission of COVID-19, scientific
evidence regarding the most effective approach to slow transmission of communicable
diseases generally and COVID-19 specifically, as well as best practices as currently known
and available to protect the public from the risk of spread of or exposure to COVID-19.
2. This Order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19, by
incorporating and referencing Guidelines approved by the State of California, thereby
slowing the spread of COVID-19.
3. This Order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference, the: March
4, 2020 Proclamation of a State Emergency issued by Governor Gavin Newsom; the March
15, 2020 Declaration of Local Health Emergency based on an imminent and proximate
threat to public health from the introduction of novel COVID-19 in Mono County; the
March 17, 2020 Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Mono proclaiming
the existence of a Local Emergency in the County of Mono regarding COVID-19 and
ratifying and extending the Declaration of Local Health Emergency due to COVID-19;
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20 of March 19, 2020 ordering all persons to
stay at home, except as otherwise authorized, to protect the health and well-being of all
Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of
COVID-19; the State of California’s Resilience Roadmap, and all Guidance related thereto;
CDPH’s “COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Restaurants, Bars, and Wineries”; Mono
County’s “Interim Guidelines for Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic”; “Mono
County Health Officer Order Requiring the Wearing of Face Coverings” issued April 30,
2020; the Mono County Business Portal at https://webapps.mono.ca.gov/covid19-
business-reopening/; and the June 11, 2020 Mono County Health Officer Order Requiring
Compliance with Business Guidelines.”
4. This Order is made in accordance with all applicable State and Federal laws,
including but not limited to: Health and Safety Code sections 101030, et seq.; Health and
Page 4 of 5Safety Code sections 120100, et seq.; and Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations
section 2501.
5. This Order is made because of the propensity of the virus to spread person-to-
person and also because the virus is causing physical property loss or damage due to its
proclivity to attach to surfaces for prolonged periods of time.
6. Copies of this Order shall be promptly posted on the County of Mono’s Public
Health Department’s website (monohealth.com) and on the outside of the Tiger Bar. This
Order shall additionally be provided to any member of the public upon request.
IT IS SO ORDERED:
_____________________________________ June 27, 2020
Date___________________
Thomas Boo, MD
Local Health Officer
For Mono County
and the Town of Mammoth Lakes
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