Dear Public Health Officer, Dr. Sara H. Cody, MD and SCC Board of Supervisors:

Please reconsider the policy of prohibiting parades and drive-by celebrations in Santa Clara County.

We understand the need to keep the public safe during the Covid-19 pandemic and that the objective of the prohibition is to prevent transmission of the virus.

However, with the following procedures, the safety concerns are mitigated:

• All participants maintain social distancing both within and outside the cars.
• All participants shall wear masks
• All events shall take place outside

Pursuant to the state and national health guidelines, these mitigating processes prevent the transmission of Covid-19. Therefore, the pretense that this prohibition is in place to protect the public is without merit.

Further, the fact that Santa Clara County is the only county in California (perhaps the USA) to ban parades demonstrates that the prohibition is not warranted.

We have given up so much as social humans these past weeks, and up until recently, car parades and drive-by celebrations were a means to connect in some way as humans and say “I see you” and “I honor you” and “I am with you.” We shouldn’t have to commit an act of civil disobedience to safely acknowledge a birthday or a graduation.

We urge you to immediately change the policy prohibiting parades and drive-by celebrations.