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Calling the human toll of the COVID-19 pandemic “devastating,” San Mateo County announced it will enforce the state’s regional stay-at-home order starting Thursday, Dec. 17, at 11:59 p.m., officials said on Wednesday. The announcement came after the Bay Area’s intensive care unit capacity plunged to 12.9%, which triggered the state’s mandated order.
The order will affect 11 counties. Regions around the state must employ the stay-at-home restriction on businesses and activities when ICU capacity drops below 15%. The order aims to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 infection and to prevent overwhelming the health care system.
Most Bay Area counties fast-tracked the stay-home order on Dec. 4 after Santa Clara County’s ICU capacity dropped below 15%, as a precautionary measure. Health officials anticipated their counties would soon follow. San Mateo County did not join the early restrictions, however. Under the state guidelines, it must now comply.
The order prohibits private gatherings of any size, except for outdoor church services and political demonstrations. Restaurants must stop offering in-person dining, even outdoors, and can only offer takeout and delivery services. Salons and barbershops must close. Retail businesses can remain open with 20% capacity. All retail establishments must have entrance metering and can’t have eating or drinking within stores. Nonessential travel, hotels and short-term rentals for leisure are banned.
The order is less sweeping than previous lockdowns instituted last spring, the county noted. People can continue essential activities such as grocery shopping, visiting a doctor and picking up medications. Outdoor activities that allow for social distancing, such as hiking, walking and bicycling, are allowed.
Schools that were already allowed to open for in-person classes under a county-approved review may stay open.
The order will stay in effect for three weeks in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma counties. After three weeks, it may be lifted if the region’s ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%.
San Mateo County officials said they will comply with the state order. The county has recorded new single-day highs for cases during December. From Dec. 9 through Dec. 15, the county has recorded 2,602 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, a daily average of 372 cases and the most in any seven-day period, officials said. The county’s test-positivity 14-day average has significantly risen from 2.1% in November to 8.0%.
Officials acknowledged the restrictions would add to stress many people feel.
“I’m sure a lot of you are tired: tired of shutdowns, tired of staying away from friends and family, tired of seeing perhaps your business and businesses you love struggle. But the only way we are going to get through these next few months is by relying on each other more than ever. Let’s all pledge to do whatever we can to stay safe, stay well and stay positive,” County Manager Mike Callagy said in the statement.
County officials said the restrictions would impact local businesses significantly and they encouraged people to support small businesses. Firms with fewer than 100 employees account for 97.4% of employers in San Mateo County. Firms with fewer than five employees account for half of all county businesses, according to county officials.
“Now, more than ever our small businesses need us,” said Roseanne Foust, president and CEO of the San Mateo County Economic Development Association. She encouraged people to grab takeout from a local restaurant and make purchases from local retailers online.
The ongoing pandemic is “devastating and tragic,” Warren Slocum, president of the county Board of Supervisors, said in the statement.
“So many lives have been affected by COVID-19 across the world and here at home. It’s heartbreaking. The holidays are a time when we show our love for our friends and our families. I encourage everyone this holiday season to show your love by giving the gift of good health. Please stay home and stay safe,” he said.
Under the order, the following are allowed to remain open with safety precautions:
• Critical infrastructure (when remote option is not possible).
• Schools.
• Nonurgent medical and dental care.
• Childcare and pre-K.
What can stay open — with modifications:
• Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only for the purpose of facilitating physically distanced personal health and wellness through outdoor exercise, without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity, and 35% of capacity for standalone grocery stores, 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 access 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 for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, provide accommodation for essential workers, or providing housing solutions, including measures to protect homeless populations.
• Restaurants: Allow only for takeout 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 activities only.
• Entertainment production: Industries, studios, and other related establishments such as establishments that provide content for professional broadcast can operate without live audiences.
What must close?
Under the regional stay-at-home order, all operations in the following sectors must be closed (except to the extent that their operations fall within critical infrastructure):
• Hair salons and barbershops.
• Personal care services.
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums.
• Movie theaters (except drive-in).
• Wineries, bars, breweries, and distilleries (with exception for production, manufacturing, distribution, and retail sale for off-site consumption).
• Family entertainment centers.
• Card rooms and satellite wagering.
• Live audience sports.
• Amusement parks.
The full restrictions order on closures can be found here.
Find comprehensive coverage on the Midpeninsula’s response to the new coronavirus by Palo Alto Online, the Mountain View Voice and the Almanac here.
