Santa Clara County nixes drive-thru car celebrations during quarantine

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Honking in front of your nephew's house? Driving by and waving and Grandma with a big birthday sign?

Don't do it. Not anymore. 

At least not in Santa Clara County, where these celebratory car caravans are now expressly forbidden, according to new guidance issued by the health department.

And that ruling is sure to upset community members and school districts who had planned their own upcoming drive-by celebrations in lieu of traditional pomp and circumstance, the Mercury News reported.

“The reality is that the rule has always been there, the prohibition has always been in place — but we recognize the issue was not clear to some people,” deputy Santa Clara County executive David Campos told the news organization. 

Of note is that police departments have been shepherding community members on some of these drive-thrus. 

For example, the Mercury News notes that Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has led dozens of driving birthday celebrations for children in the community since the county’s shelter-in-place order took effect, even documenting the caravans on Youtube.

Also last month, San Jose Police Department Chief Eddie Garcia, along with City Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco, showed up at the socially-distanced 100th birthday party for Mary Fierros, the original “Rosie the Riveter.”