Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Stay-at-home

Solano Public Health defies 5 neighboring Bay Area health departments, does not join in early stay-at-home orders

5 Bay Area counties, Berkeley adopt stay-at-home order ahead of state’s timeline

SFGATE, by Amy Graff, Dec. 4, 2020

Mission Playground closed to the public on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Mission Playground closed to the public on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Blair Heagerty / SFGate

Health officers from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the city of Berkeley announced in a joint press conference Friday they will enact a regional stay-at-home order more quickly than the state’s timeline presented by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday.

By taking the step, these six jurisdictions are calling on people to stay home and closing all sectors of business except retail and essential operations.

“We are entering an especially dangerous period of the epidemic,” said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano, noting daily cases in his county. “I don’t think we can wait for the state’s restrictions to go in effect later this month. That’s why we’re making temporary steps now. We must act swiftly.”

“Until we get through this wave, you should not meet in person with anyone you do not live even in a small group and even outdoors with precaution,” said Dr. Lisa Hernandez, health officer for the city of Berkeley. “If you have a social bubble, it is now popped.”

The order will take effect in Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the city of Berkeley at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6; in Alameda on Monday, Dec. 7; and in Marin on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

The following sectors are closing:

  • Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
  • Indoor recreational facilities
  • Hair salons and barbershops
  • Personal care services
  • Museums, zoos and aquariums
  • Movie theaters
  • Wineries
  • Bars, breweries and distilleries
  • Family entertainment centers
  • Cardrooms and satellite wagering
  • Limited services
  • Live audience sports
  • Amusement parks

Here’s what can remain open:

  • Schools: Those that currently have in-person learning can continue.
  • Outdoor recreational facilities: Only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Overnight stays at campgrounds not permitted.
  • Retail: Indoor operation allowed at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Shopping centers: Indoor operation allowed at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Hotels and lodging: Allowed to open for critical infrastructure support only.
  • Restaurants: Permitted only for takeout or pickup.
  • Offices: Remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
  • Places of worship: Outdoor services only.
  • Entertainment production including professional sports: Permitted without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

Newsom announced a new regional stay-at-home order Thursday, designed to keep local health systems from collapsing under the weight of skyrocketing COVID-19 caseloads. Previous restrictions were based on infection rates in counties.

The new order divides the state into five broad regions and restricts those with intensive care unit bed capacity below 15%. On Thursday, Newsom said four regions — all but the San Francisco Bay Area — could meet that threshold “within a day or two.” But the state allows regions to implement the order more quickly and the Bay Area is taking that step.

California’s virus hospitalizations have nearly quadrupled since mid-October and now stand at 9,948, including 2,248 in intensive care units. The Department of Public Health reported 19,582 deaths since the start of the pandemic, including at least 220 health care workers.

Here’s a rundown of the five regions and counties that fall into each:

Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity

Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma

Greater Sacramento: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba

San Joaquin Valley: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

Southern California: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

The Associated Press contributed to this story.