San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order
Janie Har | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
A closed sign is posted to the entrance of the Musée Mécanique penny arcade at Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A number of crab and seafood stands are seen closed at Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Angel Cincotta, co-owner of the Alioto-Lazio Fish Company, talks about how she plans to stay open at Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Light traffic moves along Interstate 280 in San Francisco, Monday, March 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A cable car operator looks out toward the Golden Gate Bridge while standing at the near-empty Hyde Street turnaround Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
The main hallway of the Ferry Building Marketplace is mostly empty Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Millions of California's oldest and youngest residents stayed home Monday as officials took increasingly strident steps to separate people and contain the spread of the coronavirus. Evidence that people were staying home included traffic flowing freely on some freeways that are normally congested during rush hours.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A man fixes his coffee while riding a near empty Golden Gate Ferry from Sausalito Monday, March 16, 2020, to San Francisco. Twelve passengers were riding the boat that normally carries around 200. Millions of California's oldest and youngest residents stayed home Monday as officials took increasingly strident steps to separate people and contain the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A volunteer uses rubber gloves while handing out lunches at a food distribution center set up by the Dream Center for those in need due to the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Abraham Polanco, left, and his brother Matthew Polanco receive lunches at a food distribution center set up by the Dream Center for those in need due to the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
This photo provided by the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti shows Garcetti, center, joined by grocery executives at a Los Angeles food distribution center for a news conference that was covered only by the mayor's office with no reporters present, and streamed on the Mayor's Facebook page, Monday, March 16, 2020. Garcetti and the executives said there is no reason to panic buy food, that there is plenty of food in the supply chain despite some temporary shortages. (Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti via AP)
This photo provided by the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shows Garcetti, center, joined by grocery executives at a Los Angeles food distribution center for a news conference that was covered only by the mayor's office with no reporters present, and streamed on the Mayor's Facebook page, Monday, March 16, 2020. Garcetti and the executives said there is no reason to panic buy food, that there is plenty of food in the supply chain despite some temporary shortages. (Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti via AP)
Volunteer, Pahola Campos, second from left, hands out lunches to the Garcia family, mom Marie, top center, dad Sergio, at right, David, bottom center in glasses, and Daniel at a food distribution center set up by the Dream Center for those in need due to the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Kenny Hultquist, center, hands out lunches to Melissa Polanco, right, at a food distribution center set up by the Dream Center for those in need due to the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Millie Phaeton wears gloves as she checks her cell phone while volunteering at a food distribution center set up by the Dream Center Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
A Pier 39 carousel operator waits for riders at Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Customers watch as bartender Darcy Parsons makes the signature Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe near Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Tom La Torre waits to seat customers while standing outside his Sabella & LaTorre restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Signs such as this, seen Monday, March 16, 2020 are becoming more common at many of Nevada County's facilities that house senior populations, warning those that may have symptoms of coronavirus or COVID-19, to stay away from this facility. (Elias Funez/The Union via AP)
Veronica Phan, of London, looks out at a model of Alcatraz Island near Fisherman's Wharf Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Phan and her husband were hoping to visit the island, but because of coronavirus concerns the National Park Service stopped tours until further notice. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A reporter gets ready to broadcast at a near-empty Santa Monica Pier after a temporary closure as part of measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
A police officer walks along the exit road at a near-empty Santa Monica Pier following a temporary closure as part of measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus Monday, March 16, 2020, in Los Angeles.For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Kevin Jones, right, manager of the Buena Vista Cafe, learns the news that Mayor London Breed is asking city residents to shelter-in-place because of coronavirus concerns Monday, March 16, 2020, in San Francisco. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The cafe is local landmar…
A man wears a mask as he drives along Coldwater Canyon in North Hollywood, Calif. on Monday, March 16, 2020. California has confirmed at least 335 cases of the virus and six deaths. The virus usually causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, but can be deadly for older people and those with underlying health conditions. (Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News/via AP)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials in seven San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a sweeping shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting about 7 million people, ordering residents to stay at home and go outside only for food, medicine and outings that are absolutely essential.
The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“I know today’s order is a radical step. It has to be. We need to act now, all of us, to protect the public health," said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
If affects the counties of San Francisco, Marin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Alameda, which includes the cities of Berkeley and Oakland.
“History will not forgive us for waiting an hour more," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, whose city is the most populous in the Bay Area and the epicenter of the area's outbreak. “This is our generation’s great test, our moment to stand tougher as a community. Amid our collective fears, we will find our uncommon courage."
On Monday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order allowing local governments to halt evictions and to slow foreclosures for residents struggling to pay their bills amid the coronavirus crisis. The measure will be in effect through May 31 but could be extended in necessary.
The order also requests — but doesn't require — that banks and other financial institutions halt virus-related foreclosures and evictions during the period and requires the state Public Utilities Commission to provide weekly public reports on measures that utilities are taking to protect customers against power, water, internet and other utility shut offs.
“Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices – but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians," Newsom said in a statement.
In Southern California, Los Angeles and San Diego counties — the state's two largest, with a combined 13.4 million people — ordered bars to close and restaurants to stay open only for pickup, drive-thru or delivery orders.
Following that lead, Newsom directed restaurants to eliminate dine-in options for patrons and for gyms, health clubs and movie theaters to close. Initially Newsom had only closed down bars and instructed restaurants to reduce their capacity.
Newsome also directed an end to “mass gatherings” based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new directive applies to any non-essential gathering of strangers, at auditoriums, arenas, conference rooms or other spaces. The state is not outlining a specific number. It’s a much more significant step than the state’s original restriction on gatherings of 250 people or more. Trump earlier Monday said U.S. residents should not gather in groups of more than 10 people.
The state’s order doesn’t apply to small social gatherings among friends in someone’s home. It also doesn’t ban essential activities like airport travel or shopping at grocery stores.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed criticized what she called a “terrible response" by federal officials.
“We can't sit back and wait for the federal government to do anything. Unfortunately, they have not been as proactive as they should in recognizing this is a crisis throughout the world," she said.
The Bay Area order tells people to work from home unless they provide essential services such as public safety, sanitation and medical services.
“Grocery stores will remain open, banks will remain open, the pharmacies will remain open. There is no need to panic," Breed said.
But daily life will change dramatically in what Breed called the "new normal, temporarily, to protect public health.”
Most people will have to work from home. The order says residents can go out only for “essential activities" — like buying food, seeing a doctor or caring for a family member — and only “essential" businesses and government functions can remain open, including health care, public transportation, hardware stores, garbage collection, gas stations, laundromats and banks.
Restaurants will be open only for takeout.
All gyms and bars will have to close. Outdoor exercise is fine, as long as people practice social distancing, Colfax said.
California's national parks and state parks remained open, but many parks said they were shutting indoor spaces, including visitor centers and museums.
“You can still walk your dog or go on a hike with another person, as long as you keep 6 feet between you," Colfax said. He said officials from six counties met over the weekend and determined the unprecedented measures were necessary to slow the virus' spread, shield those most vulnerable to the disease and protect health care workers who are on the front lines of fighting it. Santa Cruz officials added their county to the order later in the day.
Kevin Jones, general manager of Buena Vista Cafe, an iconic San Francisco restaurant that has been a draw for tourists since 1952 in the popular Fisherman’s Wharf, said the order is “going to hurt, but our duty is to protect our employees and our customers.”
The cafe was the only one open Monday in one of the city's busiest tourist areas, and was almost full. He said he's worried about its 58 employees being able to pay their rent; owners and managers decided any perishable foods would go to the workers.
The dramatic step came as officials across California took increasingly strident steps to separate people and contain the spread of coronavirus.
On Sunday, Newsom urged the state's 5.3 million people who are 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to isolate at home. He also called for all bars, wineries, nightclubs and brewpubs in California to close.
California has confirmed nearly 400 cases of the virus and seven deaths. One of the dead was a homeless person in the Santa Clara region, Newsom announced.
The virus usually causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, but can be deadly for older people and those with underlying health conditions.
The state has increased the number of available hospital beds and will reopen shuttered medical centers in the coming days.
Most of California's public schools were shut starting Monday for several weeks. Newsom said about 85% of California's 6 million public school students will be out of their classrooms this week. Many districts are arranging for meal pickups for families that depend on schools for breakfast and lunch.
Across California, long lines persisted at some grocery stores despite officials saying there's no need to hoard supplies.
Shoppers flocked to the Berkeley Bowl grocery store in West Berkeley after seeing online reports about the virtual shutdown before officials announced it.
“I saw the headline and got this pit in my stomach,” Caroline Park, 38, said as she put on plastic gloves before pushing a shopping cart into the store. “I was going to shop for the week anyway. I’m not here to hoard." By 2 p.m. the line to the store snaked around the block after store managers shut the entrance to limit the number of shoppers inside.
Responding to panic buying earlier in the day, executives of major grocery chains said supply chains are in good shape and clerks are working to restock shelves and clean.
The rapid pace of new restrictions caught people and institutions off-guard.
Near San Diego State University, Will Remsbottom’s Scrimshaw Coffee had just three people, and one was an employee washing windows.
“I’m just struggling with this moral conundrum of remaining open and being a potential spreader versus closing and not being able to pay my employees,” he said.
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AP reporters John Antczak and John Rogers in Los Angeles, Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Daisy Nguyen in Berkeley, Amy Taxin in Orange County and Julie Watson and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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