News

State Stay Home Order Update

State Confirms Stay Home Order Extended Until ICU Capacity Rebounds

Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed the Bay Area stay-home order will remain in place for now, until available ICU bed capacity was greater than or equal to 15%. The announcement did not give any indication of a possible end date.  However, CDPH’s news release did indicate that officials plan to “assess the region's ICU projections in the coming days and announce a formal decision on whether Bay Area meets criteria to exit the order.”

Visit CDPH’s Regional Stay Home Order webpage to track the region’s available ICU capacity, learn more about the order, or see what’s permitted under the order.

December 18, 2020

Marin County is under a full stay at home order, effective Dec. 17, 2020 for at least 3 weeks (end date subject to change based on Bay Area ICU capacity). Under the order, all sectors except retail and essential operations must close or operate under new restrictions.

Traveling outside the county (including Napa/Sonoma, SF, or Tahoe) and gathering with persons other than in one’s own household, are high-risk activities for contracting COVID-19. 

AM I ALLOWED TO TRAVEL OUT OF THE COUNTY WHILE THE STAY HOME ORDER IS IN EFFECT?

The intent of this Order is to ensure that people remain in their residences. However, you may travel outside of the County for reasons specified in the Order. These reasons include ensuring the health and safety of yourself and your family (e.g. you are a relative's caretaker and they live in a different county) and to perform employment functions that are permissible under the Order. 

CAN I HAVE A SMALL GET TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY?

All gatherings with members of other households are prohibited.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW?

• COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging across California and the U.S.
• The Bay Area's regional ICU capacity is now below 15% - and Marin's reached 0% on Dec. 15
• Staying home helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, which protects those at high risk, including older adults and medically vulnerable populations
• Staying home protects essential workers

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN STILL HAPPEN?

You may still:

• Go to the grocery store
• Visit your doctor or dentist for routine care
• Walk your dog
• Get takeout from a restaurant
• Go shopping (remember to shop local!)
• Work out at your gym, if they have outdoor space
• Attend an outdoor service at your place of worship

WHAT SECTORS ARE CLOSED AS OF DECEMBER 17?

* Details can be found here.

WHAT SECTORS ARE STAYING OPEN WITH MODIFIED OPERATIONS?

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION?

Clarification on essential operations.

Guidelines for specific business sectors.

December 4, 2020

Marin, other jurisdictions not waiting until local hospitals are near crisis to act.

The following is a joint statement from the counties of Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, plus the City of Berkeley.

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. 

“It takes several weeks for new restrictions to slow rising hospitalizations and waiting until only 15 percent of a region’s ICU beds are available is just too late,” said San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragon. “Many heavily impacted parts of our region already have less than 15 percent of ICU beds available, and the time to act is now.” 

“We are seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations here in Contra Costa County and across our region,” said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Farnitano. “The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our county has doubled in just the past couple of weeks, and we are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity later this month if current trends continue.”

“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency break,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “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.” 

“Rising hospitalization rates across the region threaten not only our community members with severe COVID-19, but anyone who may need care because of a heart attack, stroke, accident, or other critical health need,” said Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss. “By acting together now we will have the greatest impact on the surge and save more lives.”

“Each of us can fight the spread,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer. “Keep your family safe by avoiding even small gatherings outside of your household and not traveling. We don’t want holiday gatherings and travel to create a spike of cases on top of the surge we’re already seeing.”

“Although Marin has fared better than some other counties in our region over the last few weeks, we know it is only a matter of time before rising case and hospitalization put pressure on our hospitals too,” said Marin County Health Officer Dr. Matthew Willis. “We must act now, and must act together to ensure all hospitals in the Bay Area have the capacity they need to care for our residents.”

Consistent with the State framework, the six jurisdictions are working to ensure that all sectors have at least 48-hour notice of these closures. Most of the Bay Area Health Officers will implement the State’s Regional Stay At Home Order as of Sunday December 6, 2020.  In Alameda County, it is scheduled to take effect on Monday, December 7, 2020, and Marin County’s order will take effect Tuesday, December 8. The new restrictions will remain in place until January 4, 2021. 

The Order instructs Bay Area residents to stay at home as much as possible and limit mixing with other households, which can lead to the spread of COVID-19. All sectors other than retail and essential operations must be closed. Access to (and travel for) critical services and outdoor activities to preserve physical and mental health are allowed. 

Beginning Tuesday, December 8, the following sectors in Marin County 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[External]
• Live audience sports
• Amusement parks

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, motels, short-term rentals, other 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.
• Gyms: Indoor operations must close.
• 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.

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

“We recognize that public health is about community wellbeing and that includes the economic health of the community,” said Dr. Willis.  “And as we take this step, we want to remind people to find ways to support their local businesses in a safe way, doing it from home as much as possible, but utilizing the online or curb-side pick-up options that our local stores may offer.” 

See the sector closures and restrictions on activity under the State’s Regional Stay Home Order. MarinRecovers.com will be updated by Tuesday, December 8, to reflect the new restrictions.