Sonoma County faces its first full weekend under new COVID restrictions

Sonoma County's first full weekend of stepped-up COVID rules and prohibitions of certain activities has led to some confusion about what really is and is not off limits until February 11.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Sonoma County's first full weekend of stepped up COVID rules and prohibitions of certain activities has led to some confusion about what really is and is not off limits until February 11.

The seemingly hard rule of no more than 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors has many folks confused.

The Epicenter, close to Santa Rosa's Coffey Park, is a massive food, sports bar, sports activities and entertainment venue. "Bowling land, arcade, trampoline park, indoor soccer field, basketball court, our bar and restaurant here Victory House as well as Piner and Coffey, which is our coffee shop," said Epicenter spokeswoman Jenny Ogston.

Since it can hold hundreds and hundreds of people will it be open? "We get lots of calls, lots of email, 'Are you open regular hours? Do you have capacity limits.' I think there is a lot of confusion," said Ogston.

With the 49er's crucial playoff game this weekend the event center will be a place that many will want to come to. "Totally normal; no capacity limits of anything, So, we will be open all weekend and next week, Martin Luther King on Monday," said Ogston.

The Graton Casino in Rohnert Park, fresh off canceling its 4,000 guest, private New Year's Eve Gala, has also canceled and rescheduled this weekend's sold out appearance by Cedric The Entertainer until March.

The 1,600 seat Luther Burbank Center canceled and rescheduled The Price is Right Live from the 21st to November. The Center is rescheduling nine other events during the one-month Health Order major event prohibition. The 5,400 tickets holders will be contacted directly and updates will be posted on the Center's web-site and social media.

Finally, Sonoma State University's Green Music Center is also canceling and rescheduling many events, big and small. "We probably canceled twelve to 15 different public events that we're gonna happen here," said Jacob Yarrow, the Green Music Center's Executive Director. That includes two concerts the Center was presenting, some Santa Rosa Symphony events and mostly presentations of the Sonoma State Music Department.

It's complicated and expensive to make refunds plus another matter. "We need to negotiate with the artists because the artists are counting on the money that we were to pay them," said Yarrow.

But even more than the money, concert venues want to do what make them, their artists and their ticket holders truly happy. "We're about putting people in space together, feeling the magic and power of being part of a community, said Yarrow.

The events' prohibition expires February 11 unless extended.