CA “Strike Teams” Enforcing Covid Rules

California has set up “strike teams” of inspectors to go after businesses that are not following public health guidelines. However, Governor Gavin Newsom, quoted in an AP article before the July 4 holiday, stressed they would not be out harassing businesses over minor infractions. These teams will go after people that are aggressively “thumbing their nose” at requirements, Newsom said. The inspection team is drawn from 10 state agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Alcohol Beverage Control, Food and Agriculture and Barbering and Cosmetology. In a followup article after the holiday, Newsom said the teams had issue 52 citations – a low number, he maintained. “There were only a handful of citations because the overwhelming majority of people were doing the right thing,” he said. “Even if people were out of compliance, the engagement got people back into compliance very quickly.”