I read this yesterday in the New York Times, California Today section. NYT isn't perfect, but they do kind of set the standard for journalism (unless you're into the fake news thing, but let's not go there). I just read it again and the story says the town is awaiting state approval. I agree with questions about the legality of many orders coming from governments. There's probably a wide variety in validity of legal do's and don'ts depending on powers granted by public health emergency declarations. And I'd guess not all officials are clear on what constitutes a legal public health directive, depending on the governmental entity. I'll leave all that to the lawyers. But I do think that if someone is doing something as stupid as participating in a social gathering as is still happening occasionally and receives a citation for it, the judge is likely to lean toward upholding public health and safety declarations, especially under current circumstances.
