What Newsom’s new order means for Bay Area
With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations soaring statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a new round of sweeping new restrictions on business and activities, evoking his first-in-the-nation statewide stay-home order back in March. Here’s a quick summary of what’s allowed and what’s not under the latest order.
Q
Where does the new order apply?
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The order applies regionally, with the state divided into five sections: Northern California, the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. The Bay Area region includes the nine counties surrounding San Francisco Bay plus Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
Q
When does the new order go into effect?
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Under Thursday’s order, new restrictions go into effect within 48 hours in each region when its hospitals’ intensive care availability falls below 15%. None of the five regions are there yet. Newsom said most of those regions are expected to reach that level within a week, with the Bay Area following a few days later. Q What does the order prohibit?
A
Broadly, Californians in affected regions are ordered to stay at home as much as possible to limit mixing with other households, which can lead to COVID-19 spread. It limits travel to critical services and restricts outdoor activities for exercise. It requires closure of indoor and outdoor playgrounds, barbershops, hair salons and personal care services, museums, campgrounds, zoos and aquariums, theaters, wineries, bars, breweries, distilleries, family entertainment centers, card rooms, live sports and amusement parks.
Q
So what’s that leave open?
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Outdoor recreational facilities can remain open, but without sales of food or drink. Offices of businesses in critical infrastructure where remote telework isn’t possible can remain open — things like health care, food and agriculture, financial services, emergency operations, communication and transportation. Non-urgent medical and dental care may continue. Retailers and shopping malls may remain open limited to 20% capacity with staff keeping track at the entrance and special hours for the more vulnerable elderly and chronically ill. Hotels and other lodging may remain open only for the needs of critical infrastructure workers. Professional sports must play without live audiences.
Q
What about schools and child care?
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Child care, prekindergarten and K-12 schools already open for in-person learning may remain open with masking and social distancing protocols.
Q
Can my family still go out to eat?
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Restaurants may remain open only for takeout, pickup and delivery. No indoor or outdoor dining on-site.
Q
Can we still go out to worship?
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Churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship are only allowed to hold outdoor services.
Q
How long is the new order in effect?
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Once the new restrictions go into effect in a region they will last at least three weeks. Assuming a region’s intensive care capacity recovers above 15%, counties in those regions would then be under the color-coded restrictions of the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy.”
Q
How will the order be enforced?
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Newsom said he expects local authorities to enforce the restrictions, and that the overwhelming majority have done so. He said the state can withhold economic aid to local governments and businesses as leverage on those that resist enforcing the rules.
Q
What happens if I get busted for violating it?
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As with the original stay-home order, violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Q
Can counties enact even stricter measures?
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Counties can have more restrictive criteria and different closures. This week, the city and county of Los Angeles for example enacted a “Safer at Home” lockdown, and Santa Clara County introduced a mandatory travel quarantine, stricter retail capacity limits and a ban on contact sports, sending the 49ers and Stanford and San Jose State football teams out of state to play their upcoming games.
Q
How does this relate to the state’s March stay-home order?
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The March stay-home order applied to all California residents, rather than regionally. It was of indefinite duration, and was modified in May with a multistage reopening plan, which was replaced in August with the colorcoded “Blueprint for a Safer Economy.” The March order did not exempt schools or churches or allow nonessential retail to remain open at limited capacity.