Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal sat down for another round of media questions today. The video is above, summaries below.

Will you be celebrating Memorial Day outside at any parks? And how would you advise people celebrate? (0:10)

The Sheriff’s Office is still asking outsiders not to travel to Humboldt County. “We don’t want visitors right now,” Honsal says. Deputies will be out and about, issuing warnings and, if necessary, citations for violating the shelter-in-place order. Beaches and day use areas of state and national parks will be open. “It’s gonna be a great weekend,” he says.

What is your office doing, in collaboration with park rangers, to prepare for an influx of visitors to local parks this weekend? (1:52)

The Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with staff from state and national parks. “There’s still no camping,” he says. Hotels are being told to offer lodging only to local residents or those offering essential services. 

How will your office enforce social distancing in parks? (2:48)

The office’s off-highway vehicle team will be out patrolling beaches and public right-of-ways, making sure people are physically distancing, Honsal says. “We understand everyone has shelter-in-place fatigue,” he adds. And we’re close to moving into the next phase, and every county from Sonoma north is working further into the governor’s Stage Two of reopening. 

As cases increase, is the Joint Information Center getting more calls about people not social distancing? (4:35)

Yes, Honsal says. The center, at 441.5000, will get its 6,000th call today. “We are always there, working Monday through Saturday … 10-5,” he says. More than 700 businesses have submitted applications to reopen, and close to 400 have been certified as compliant. “We will be publishing that list, I believe, tomorrow,” he says.

Funerals, with no more than 10 people, are now allowed. What about weddings? (6:35)

“This does not apply to weddings,” Honsal says, though Gov. Newsom is expected to change that soon. 

Will Humboldt County be extending its eviction notice past May 31? (7:15)

It’s up to the Board of Supervisors, Honsal says. There were a dozen or so evictions set to occur right before COVID hit, and none of those occurred. They’ll be first in line once the moratorium ends.

With harvest on the horizon, what is the relationship between cannabis workers and the potential for fall surges at grow sites? Has there been collaboration between the Sheriff’s Office and the cannabis industry? (8:35)

The big threat is having “trimmigrants” come in from all parts of the world, Honsal says. “We want to discourage that as much as possible,” especially now that legal entities can go to staffing agencies. “There are locals looking for local work,” the sheriff adds. “The people who are coming in from out of town? They’re just gonna take the money and run.” 

Deputies are telling out-of-towners that they’re not welcome. “We will cite those people for coming in,” Honsal says. The clusters of COVID infection in Humboldt have largely been travel-related. 

As for shelter restrictions, Honsal says local officials believe there will be movement into Stage Three of the governor’s reopening plans very soon, and he urged people to be patient.