BAY AREA, CA — Several counties in the Bay Area are ordering residents to shelter in place Monday in an extraordinary attempt to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
The three-week order, which would likely be the strictest measure taken anywhere in the U.S. against COVID-19, will shutter “nonessential” businesses, while allowing grocery stores, police and fire departments, pharmacies and some other businesses to stay open, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in an announcement.
Residents can still leave their homes but will be required to distance themselves from others while outside, officials said.
The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and last until at least April 7.
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Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties all issued the order, and Santa Cruz County announced a similar measure later Monday. The initial six counties had confirmed a combined 273 COVID-19 cases by Monday, officials said.
Residents will still be allowed to leave the house to shop for groceries and other essential services, and public transit will remain open. The order may be enforced if necessary, but officials said they hope that residents will choose to comply.
“A regional approach”
“We know we need a regional approach,” Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Public Health officer, said at a news conference. “We all must do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Residents are asked to stay home except for essential activities such as seeking health care, shopping for food or other supplies. Businesses may remain open if they fall under a list of “essential businesses”— otherwise, officials asked them to “cease all activities beyond minimum basic operations.”
Restaurants, meanwhile, can stay open but are limited to take-out and delivery only. Bars, gyms, and other “nonessential” stores must close, officials said.
Outdoor activities such as jogging and walking are allowed, but residents have to maintain a social distance of six feet, officials said. Homeless people are not subject to the order, but the state is encouraging them to seek shelter.
“The time for half measures is over,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said at a news conference. “History will not forgive us for enduring an hour more.”
Local governments are planning to partner with private companies including DoorDash to increase food deliveries to residents who need it while the order is in effect. Officials will share more information about the partnerships in the coming days, Liccardo said.
Residents should not rush to the grocery store to buy up food, officials stressed, saying they did not expect any shortages.
“No one should fear that they need to go buy everything in the aisle,” Liccardo said. “There will be food.”
Other heath officials acknowledged that the period may seem daunting for some, adding the restrictions “are temporary, but they will last longer than any of us want.”
The video below shows a Monday afternoon news conference, where public health officials from each of the six counties shared more information about the order.
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