CA’s New Regional Stay-at-Home Order Will Go Into Effect Sunday, December 6 at 10 P.M. for Santa Clara County
Bay Area Health Officers Move to Implement the State’s New Regional Stay Home Order, Not Waiting Until Local Hospitals Are Near Crisis to Act
Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced that all sectors other than retail and essential operations would be closed in regions of the State where less than 15 percent of ICU beds are available under a new Regional Stay Home Order. Although health officials throughout the Bay Area are glad to see the State take action in light of the rapidly escalating surge in hospitalizations statewide, many believe even more aggressive action is necessary in the Bay Area to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed.
Rather than waiting until Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed availability reaches critical levels and delaying closures that are inevitable, the Health Officers for the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley are jointly announcing that they will implement the State’s Regional Stay Home Order now.
When Will This Order Go Into Effect?
In Santa Clara County these new restrictions will go into effect Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 10 P.M. and will remain in place until January 4, 2021.
What is Going to Close Starting Sunday, December 6 at 10 P.M.?
All operations in the following sectors must be closed:
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
The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 or pick-up.
Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
Places of Worship: Allow outdoor services only.
Entertainment Production including Professional Sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.
This new order does not modify existing state guidance regarding K-12 schools.
The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100 percent masking and physical distancing:
Critical Infrastructure
Non-urgent medical and dental care
Child care and pre-K
Non-Essential Travel Lodging
Except as otherwise required by law, no hotel or lodging entity in California shall accept or honor out of state reservations for non-essential travel, unless the reservation is for at least the minimum time period required for quarantine and the persons identified in the reservation will quarantine in the hotel or lodging entity until after that time period has expired.
Can People Still Go Outside?
Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by safely going to a park, hike, walk or bike ride when safe to do so and socially distanced. Californians are also encouraged to keep connected with loved ones virtually.
