coronavirus

Most of the Bay Area to Start New Stay-at-Home Order on Sunday

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the City of Berkeley will keep the new restrictions in place until Jan. 4, 2021.

NBC Universal, Inc.

Most of the Bay Area will be under California's new stay-at-home order starting Sunday after local health officials announced they will not wait for the state to trigger tighter coronavirus restrictions.

County health officers from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the City of Berkeley in a joint press conference Friday said they are not waiting until local hospitals are near crisis to act.

“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency break,” Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said. “We understand that the closures under the state order will have a profound impact on our local businesses. However, if we act quickly, we can both save lives and reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place, allowing businesses and activities to reopen sooner.”

NBC Bay Area
A look at which Bay Area counties plan to implement the state's new stay-at-home order early.

Most of the health officers will implement the new stay-at-home order starting Sunday. In Alameda County, it is scheduled to take place on Monday. Marin County's order will go into effect on Tuesday. The new restrictions will remain in place until Jan. 4, 2021.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a sweeping new coronavirus order Thursday that triggers business shutdowns and puts limits on people's movement based on hospital intensive care unit capacity in their regions.

The new order comes amid surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state and is triggered if a region's ICU bed availability drops below 15%.

NBC Bay Area
Here's a look at when the state's new stay-at-home order will go into effect in the Bay Area counties implementing it early.

Below is a breakdown of the restrictions under the new stay-at-home order provided by health officials.

The following must close:

  • 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
There’s growing frustration and concern as businesses prepare to implement a new stay-at-home order that comes from their own counties, not the state. Cheryl Hurd reports.

The following sectors will have additional modifications (in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing): 

  • Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only, without any food, drink, or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted. 
  • Retail: Allow indoor operation 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: Allow indoor operation 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: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only. 
  • Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery. 
  • Offices: Allow remote only, except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.  
  • Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only. 
  • Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged. 
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-home order based on ICU capacity on December 3, 2020.

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible. Those that remain open must have appropriate infectious disease preventative measures in place, including 100% masking and physical distancing: 

  • Critical infrastructure  
  • Schools 
  • Non-urgent medical and dental care 
  • Childcare and pre-K 

ICU Beds Available in Bay Area (as of Dec. 4)

NBC Bay Area
Here's a look at the percentage of ICU beds available in the Bay Area broken down per county as of Friday, Dec. 4. Marin County said it expects to provide an update on its number of ICU beds available sometime next week.

Statewide, most counties across Northern, Southern and Central California will enter the new lockdown as well. Here are the details.

Contact Us