The dinner event led to criticism that the governor is flouting the safety guidelines he has set for Californians.
California’s COVID-19 safety guidelines limit the number of households at a private gathering, but do not explicitly impose those same rules on restaurant patrons.
State guidelines updated in November allow private gatherings of no more than three households at a park or outdoor space. Rules for dining say restaurants should “limit the number of patrons at a single table to a household unit or patrons who have asked to be seated together,” without stating any limits on the number of households that can sit at a table. At the time, Napa County was in the state’s orange tier, which allows for indoor seating.
An Oct. 3 post from the Twitter account for the governor, warned restaurant patrons to wear masks “between bites” while eating with others and also showed a contradictory graphic telling diners to limit the number of times they take their mask off during a meal.
