The following well-drafted letter has been sent to Governor Gavin Newsom from the Mammoth Lakes Lodging Association, Mammoth Lakes Restaurant Association, and Chamber of Commerce respectfully appealing for the state to allow the regional stay at home order to expire as soon as possible amid concerns that local businesses can no longer sustain further financial losses by allowing local businesses to reopen and continue to conduct their businesses safely under the restrictions in the Purple (Widespread) Tier.
Furthermore, they ask that Mono County be removed from the Southern California region citing the vast difference in populations in Los Angeles County, and that Mono County be placed in a region appropriate to its demographics, e.g., a region consisting of the following counties: Inyo, Mono and Alpine.
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@Rhoagydc This is a rediculous and dangerous statement, contrary to science. The National Institutes of Health found that: “. . . high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19. . .” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447231/ In another study: “Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7500589/ More: ” Researchers found that both lower temperatures and lower humidity helped viruses survive longer.” https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/coronavirus-information/about-the-virus/will-the-coronavirus-survive-in-the-refrigerator-or-freezer“
I know someone who almost died due to the stay-at-home order. Sometimes we look at our own lives, which may involve spouses, children, roommates, work connections, and think “what’s the big deal”. But for many people the result is isolation, loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Some people would rather die than be told they can’t surf, hike, ski, snowboard, whatever their passions are or the thing that keeps them sane. The ones who don’t follow the rules will find their way. The ones who do, it may be a death sentence. Flattening the curve is primarily to reduce covid deaths, but who is counting the mental illness, the suicides on a daily basis? No one is, we will only find out the totals once it’s too late.
The “just stay at home, why is it so hard!” people need to turn their anger dial down and their compassion dial up, because for some people it is very hard. Keeping places open is also about preventing illness and saving lives. Covid’s recent high infection rate over 7 days in SoCal is 100 out of 100,000 people. That’s 99,900 not infected per 100,000. But according to this article from the Washington post, 25.5% of young adults polled seriously considered suicide in August 2020. That’s 25,000 out of 100,000, and 15% more than 2 years prior. Where some municipalities report statistics more rapidly, suicide numbers by summer had already surpassed and entire year’s worth.
Nothing about what is happening is black and white, and it isn’t all about people who want to invade mammoth and party it up and spread covid, nor is being open for travel or activity only about economics, as many here want to portray it. It is truly complex. This article is a good read. Try to be understanding, everyone has different backgrounds, different lives, different situations, different needs and wants, and different emotions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/23/covid-pandemic-rise-suicides/
Rhoagydc — Ridiculous statement, exactly the opposite of fact. The National Institutes of Health found that: “. . . high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19. . .” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447231/ In another study: “Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7500589/ More: ” Researchers found that both lower temperatures and lower humidity helped viruses survive longer.” https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/coronavirus-information/about-the-virus/will-the-coronavirus-survive-in-the-refrigerator-or-freezer“
One anecdotal story from my so.cal family: we are super careful, do not party or meet up or eat out or even take out, wear masks everywhere including outdoors, and have been for months. Reserved a walking distance to the lifts, ground level condo, which was cancelled on us. With our winter vacation cancelled, not much reason to activate the Ikon passes for weekend trips, so will defer the passes and not visit Mammoth or June at all this season, even when things improve. instead we will drive out of state and do our masked outdoor activities and vacation rental isolation elsewhere. I don’t take joy in this, I only offer it as a example of the impact being more than the obvious. I also think it’s wrong that instead of a refund, we are only extended credit for the cancelled stay to be used in the next 12 months at that exact property. We will hopefully find a way to use that credit and then never rent from that management company again.
Thanks for being soo responsible, how about stop your unnecessary travel and also the stay at home order also applies to you! You are so disconnected from reality. People like you give Californian’s a bad name. Local’s on the eastside wish you just stayed at home, we do not want you here during the most critical public health crisis. You are not exempt from the rules. So cal is exploding with deaths and cases and you think you should have the right to come up here and rent your place and go play like its normal. Yes it’s all about you, we got it! Grow up and get some perspective and stay away! We don’t need your $ or selfish attitudes. We suffer through the challenges of the eastern sierra living all year with covid, months of smoke, over run by tourists and trash. Give us a break, people are dying! get some perspective, it’s not all about you!
loneranger2
That post you made,something most ALL of us think and feel,and have felt this whole past Spring and Summer,but for some reason,for most, were “afraid” to say it.
Not only because of the COVID issues coming here from down south,but,as you say,the bad attitudes,over run by tourists and their trash,the “me,me,me” that comes along with it,staying where they pleased,closed areas or not,ignoring the fire restrictions that were set in the Summer.
Large groups of tourists without masks arguing with store attendants,one I witnessed myself,claiming it was “their right” to enter the store without a mask,and then saying “you must not want our money”.
And now continuing on with the ski season,same thing.
The Alabama Hills are still being over run with unmasked visitors.Ask any local,it looks like a dump out there.
Los Angeles County,over run with COVID cases and deaths as we speak..
But “Let’s go up and play in the Sierra and do as we please…who’s gonna say anything,They need our money too badly,and they can’t stop us anyway “..
loneranger2 – Well, that’s quite the reply. I understand that there are people who flaunt the rules in extremity, and I completely disagree with that behavior. I also believe that the state’s hard-line stance is creating a huge population of people who ignore all rules, based upon first hand observation. People know the science, such as the virus is completely destroyed in seconds by the sun, and masks have a significant impact on transmission. So outdoor daytime activities while wearing masks presents no risk. We wear masks everywhere, including outdoors on sunny days, and here at home we effectively live isolated lives other than going outside to exercise. As for our trip to Mammoth, our plans were to not ride any shuttles, bring our own food (no store trips, no takeout), walk to the lift, no way would I use the gondola or a shuttle bus, and stay in a private short term rental. How exactly do you see us being such a risk? My point here was that on this trip, it’s true our contribution to the mono economy would only be the short term rental, the Ikon credits to Mammoth resort, and a tank of gas. However, without this trip, a return trip this season makes less sense for us even if the virus magically disappeared completely overnight, and the handling of our reservation by holding my money hostage has left a bad impression.
It’s possible that the end result here is that the people that follow the rules are left at home, and the people who do as they please, and present the highest risk, find their ways to gather and travel and drink and go around without masks and party it up with 20 of them packed into their uncle’s cabin. I’ve also heard stories that Bishop has been very busy and shuttles in Mammoth are still running?
As for everyone else, there will be a lot of pent-up demand for travel when this “clears”. So, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether there will be lingering effects, or a tremendous rebound.
You still don’t get it, stay in your local region. You are not exempt from the stay at home order and choosing to drive 5 hours or more is not responsible or appropriate during this time. Go play locally! Everyone needs to be responsible and for every “responsible” person like you there are 4 others that are not. Hearing you complain about your lodging is pathetic and selfish, people are suffering and you are complain about your trip to mammoth. Get some perspective! Help our community by staying away and spreading the message to be responsible. Donate money to businesses you love and the different things going on up here, like walker fire victims or sequoia or creek fires. When pandemic first came upon us sure, lodging and travel was a mess. But as we know now, people choosing to travel know it comes with an inherent risk and subject to changes and cancellations that come with the covid response by local counties. All major companies like airbb, vrbo, etc, are not refunding people anymore. It is at your own risk of health or cancellation. Again what don’t you understand about staying local? As a current business owner, as a former national parks & public lands employee, I don’t want your money, I want you to respect the stay at home order, respect our region and respect our community. It is not all about you!
Get some perspective
As a business owner in Mono County, I am sorry to see you go. So many people in Inyo/Mono, see the Rona as black and white. I was just down in Orange County, and was able to enjoy restaurants and even a bar. It felt so normal. My life is more full and important, than holding up in a hole, waiting for this to go away. The virus will never go away, and we need to learn to live with it, instead of going into our perspective camps and point fingers at each other.
People like you, “full and important” lives, are making sure that 3000+ people per day have NO life to live.
Typical “hair on fire” response….
Why does you choice have to be on either extreme? why does have to be either holding up inside all the time or going out and doing things like normal? If you still support bars and restaurants by taking it to-go. You can even do that with alcohol now. The worst thing is to hangout indoor at a bar with a bunch people you don’t know.
Really, stay at home means stay at home! Most folks don’t appreciate how few ICU beds Mammoth hospital has. No matter how careful you may be, you can still have a heart attack, a motor vehicle accident, or sports injury that could leave you needing one of those beds. Under normal circumstances that is fine, that’s what they are there for. These are not normal circumstances. Good for the condo folks for following the public health orders, but it is indeed too bad you weren’t given an unconditional refund.
Hi Lydia – that is a very good point you have made, and not something one immediately thinks of. I thought I read a few days ago that there are no covid patients at Mammoth hospital, is that incorrect? Based on this concern, it sounds like the residents of Mammoth also should not be skiing or walking (slipping on ice?) or Nordic skiing, etc, if it’s really that dire. But, looking at webcams on Mammoth Mountain, that’s either a lot of residents out skiing every day, or there are still a lot of non-residents there, potentially the folks who ignore common sense the most.
One thing I’ve learned from this is it can be difficult to get accurate information about the area versus word of mouth, I appreciate the insight I’ve found through this website. Thank you to everyone, even the ones who are angry at me for just documenting our “case analysis”. 🙂
Mono is shipping their cases to the hospital in Bishop
Where in the world did you get that idea!!
Greetings SD Mtn lover, as of today my sources tell me Mammoth Hosp indeed has no COVID patients and one ICU bed is available. Down the hill, Bishop I believe has seven COVID patients, two in ICU. You are right that there are many people skiing, both locals and non locals. From the beginning of this pandemic locals were discouraged from back country activities that might risk call outs to Search and Rescue teams and impact teams and First Responders. Of course we are all immortal until we aren’t….so not everyone listened and aren’t listening still. Anyway , best wishes with your time off with your family.
Looking forward to visiting SD and friends there when things clear up.
Totally not angry at you. Please come back some day. There is a “silent majority” that feels they can’t say things, because we want all the grandmas dead – that isn’t true. It is so sad….
Lydia you are ill-informed. Mammoth hospital has not had anywhere close to 5 beds used at any time throughout the pandemic. Mammoth Hospital transports people to Reno and occasionally to other facilities in Central CA and rarely Southern CA. Mammoth Hospital has a surge capacity of up to 80 if it was absolutely required. 10 months in a so called pandemic and Mammoth Hospital has been in GREEN status the entire time. Stop fear mongering. There is nothing statistically significant or different in 2020/2021 regarding the ICU capacity of Mammoth Hospital, Inyo hospitals, Reno, or California hospitals. The same can be said for total deaths in the US. If there is such a deadly pandemic going on why isn’t the total death rate for the US statistically or significantly HIGHER than previous years?
As is typical in discussing this virus, the “facts” are not cut and dried…nor are the actual numbers and reports “fully matured.” Authorities have said that they feel that the numbers of Covid deaths is likely undercounted. An article in USA Today was quoted in a widely shared post on social media, to which the newspaper recently responded, essentially saying it’s just not that simple and the claim made in social media was “partially false.” Fact checks by Snopes, the Associated Press and Reuters News have similar findings.
Fact check: 2020 has been more deadly in the US compared with recent years
Some of our selfish fellow Americans don’t care about others. They go to Xmas parties, bars and hair cutting places, get covid and spread it carelessly. I’ve seen it. I know some of these people. They go out in public when they are knowingly sick. They don’t give a damn.
Inyo and Mono need a severe lockdown like we had in April 2020. Close down all recreation immediately. If we invite tourists in, we will suffer many more infections and deaths in our communities.
Did Mammoth Mountain pay someone to write that letter? My own family stills calls this a hoax. We’ve already lost one family member and a 40 year old dear friend and great father. I watched him grow up. Eight of my family members have contacted it. It ain’t no joke. Please don’t support this hog wash.
Mammoth is uniquely positioned to be economic crystal of recovery for the entire west coast. Mammoth is the only community that possesses 3 qualities that viruses hate, HIGH ALTITUDE, EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITY, and PERSISTENT HIGH WINDS. Even the the common influenza virus type A rarely occurs there because it simply cannot survive nature’s triple hammer. Gov Newsome should immediately relax his foot on the Brake pedal in the eastern Sierra and double down on vaccination efforts in socal.
Get out of here with all your science!
That’s not science – that’s a pseudo-technical marketing statement that is contradicted by the empirical data (of the ~8000 TOML residents over 500 have tested positive- a per capita infection rate that is among the highest in CA). Scientific results would include a test of that statement demonstrating lower transmission rates in Mono County/TOML… Without data to support it, that is just another misleading narrative.
Js is surely being facetious. One can hope rhoagydc is being satiric. Don’t know what to make of ML Restauarant, Lodging and Chamber letter. Can’t think of anything kind…
I don’t know about #1 and #3 but every resource I’v found says low humidity is not good. As for number 3 most infections are indoors so..https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/op-ed-humidity-can-aid-in-the-fight-against-covid-19/
Rhoagydc Ridiculous statement re humidity, exactly the opposite of fact. National Institute for Health states “Considering the existing scientific evidence, warm and wet climates seem to reduce the spread of COVID-19.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7500589/ In another study: “… high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447231/
Rhoagydc Ridiculous statement. The National Institutes of Health found that: “. . . high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19. . .” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447231/ In another study: “Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7500589/ More: ” Researchers found that both lower temperatures and lower humidity helped viruses survive longer.” https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/coronavirus-information/about-the-virus/will-the-coronavirus-survive-in-the-refrigerator-or-freezer” Where do you get your “facts”, Tucker Carlson?
Ridiculous statement. The National Institutes of Health found that: “. . . high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19. . .” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447231/ In another study: “Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7500589/ More: ” Researchers found that both lower temperatures and lower humidity helped viruses survive longer.” https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/coronavirus-information/about-the-virus/will-the-coronavirus-survive-in-the-refrigerator-or-freezer“
Meanwhile everyone went to New Year’s Eve parties last night. 75% of all infections occur in your own homes and private gatherings. A huge portion at large retailers and fast food. Yet all of you want to point fingers at small businesses that have almost no impact whatsoever on the infection rate or icu bed capacity. Read, learn, decide. Closing businesses that do not impact infections and icu capacity will not help.
Your comment is almost comical. Not everyone went to New Years parties. Really, 75% of infections occur in your home and private gatherings where did that statistic come from? People bring the virus in from outside the home from work, transit, non-social gathering at events and just bad luck. Small business has suffered tremendously and why is Wall Mart open, i guess nobody contracted COVID while there.
100% you need to open and stop letting Newsom Kill people and business. We need to feed our family’s I have a 4 yr old andn7 yr old what do I say when when loose our house because we can’t work. I am open and working . No one is telling me to close. This is American you don’t like the freedom Leave to CHINA.
Great. The market is Southern California and the coroner cannot process all the deaths. The infection rate is off the scale and we are asking to bring more possible positive cases to the area? That is just insane! Yes your business may not survive but if you personally get Covid-19 you may not survive either. The corpses are being stacked like cordwood and ICU is full. And you want to go to purple? Why not just go to black because that’s where we’re headed.
Apparently you don’t read statistics. Covid has a 99.7% survival rate. It’s not a reason to close down everything. You have a higher chance of choking than dying from covid so are you going to stop eating food now? Hope you like smoothies!
“go to black”?
It’s a disease with a 99.7% survival rate for the vast majority of us (per CDC), 95% for the most vulnerable (over 80). Meanwhile, Florida, completely open, no statewide mask mandate – and a population whose median age is 6 years older than us and thus is more vulnerable – is outperforming us. According to the Worldometers Corona Virus data, using the 7 day moving average, FLA has fewer per capita deaths per day at present than CA despite being much older, and only one-half the per capita new cases per day.
If lockdowns worked, this would not occur.
Follow the science. Respect the data. Even if it goes against the narrative.
If local businesses can’t sustain further financial losses that’s to bad. They need to remain closed for the greater good and to save lives.
Blame the country’s government that has insisted on doing *nothing* for most of the year, leaving small businesses to collapse and people to lose their homes
This is absolutely crazy and should not be allowed, what is Mono thinking? As California, more importantly So Cal continues to explode with cases, the new epicenter in the country, there is no way this should be allowed. Endangering the people of this community for economic gains because people can not follow the rules. If Mammoth is empty they are all in the Alabama Hills and Lone Pine. Soo many people out there camping and in town, at the hotels. Inyo is blatantly disregarding the stay at home order and allowing businesses to break the rules. For example, best western, comfort inn, dow villa, all with recreational tourists and ohv. The worst kind of tourists and visitors right now, all very disrespectful and me oriented, trashing our public lands, not wearing masks at the gas stations. Spreading the virus to our community. So no Mono, stay closed and stay safe. Inyo has a major problem going on right now, very disappointed with the leadership of this county. Until we get this people problem under control, nothing will be normal for businesses. Stop unnecessary travel, stop recreational travel. If you have to drive 3 hours or more to get up here maybe you shouldn’t come. But the rules don’t apply to the rich me centric jerks of so cal who think they can all drive up here and violate the rules, meanwhile endangering our community during the most critical health crisis we’ve had in the last 9 months. No ICU beds in LA county, ambulances being turned away, but sure come on up, just a regular winter here.
Also, the letter states patients are transferred to Carson, Reno hospitals. They have their own spikes and COVID-19 deaths to deal with. Do you think they will willingly accept eastern Sierra Covid positive patients?
It’s not just ICU beds…it’s NO beds, period. UCI , the hospital that had me as a patient for 7 months for cancer treatment has erected a M.A.S.H. type tent hospital in their parking lot for the over-flow . And since my follow-up treatment isn’t life threatening, it’s been postponed . Without Covid, we still have car accidents, broken bones, babies being born etc., that have to be treated. What now ???
Ill say it again. 9 months and BILLIONS of dollars in CARES Act funds for California to hire new staff, increase ICU capacity etc if they wanted to. No preparations were made. Also ICU capacity is always swamped this time of year. So many people here are acting like a deer in the headlights. Acting as if there was nothing that could be done to prepare for the anticipated ‘second wave’. There is not excuse for not having ample ICU and staff at hospitals, PERIOD!
You can’t just conjure highly trained staff out of thin air. To my knowledge, healthcare workers are pretty much fully-employed (with some even coming out of retirement). These folks take years to train, not one or two seasons… All the money in the world can’t magically create more nurses and Docs.
Also, I can’t seem to remember the ICU’s being so full that they they are setting up alternative care sites in parking garages- something that is reminiscent of the third world, not America.
I think TOML makes a good point and addresses BaddayBlackrock’s concern. We live in Mammoth full time and in our neighborhood we have seen an increase in lodging at private homes. Homes that used to only have 2 cars visible on holiday weekends now have 4-5 packed in. So the town is correct. People are flocking up here and others are illegally renting their homes. If hotels were open, then the extra population would be dispersed. Mammoth being closed is why Inyo and the surrounding communities are packed. What the governor had does to this community is wrong. I am not a Covid denier. Living can be dangerous. There are no guarantees in life and even the most cautious have gotten Covid and the most reckless have not. The letter states that there was no spike in Covid in Mammoth during the pandemic because businesses were adhering to the Purple requirements so why is it right or fair for Governor Newson to punish businesses that have obeyed the rules since the beginning?
And when it was the rest of Mono County’s season – this spring and summer – you heard crickets from Mammoth. Thanks Supervisor Pickleball.
Just remember this, the next time a “pandemic” hits – we truly are in this together, and we ALL need to have our voices heard!