Takeaways

Six counties and the City of Berkeley issued orders extending their stay-home directives through May 31.
The revised orders contain specific social distancing and sanitization requirements.
The authorities warn that continued or expanded reopening depends on the Bay Area’s COVID-19 outcomes.

As anticipated by a joint statement issued on Monday April 27, the six Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara) and the City of Berkeley have now published updated stay-home orders, effective May 4. The updated orders extend the shelter-in-place requirements for most individuals and businesses through May 31, with limited expansions to the definitions of essential business and essential activities.

The expanded definition of essential business now allows all construction projects to resume, as long as the projects comply with the construction safety protocols (incorporated as Appendices B-1 (small construction) and B-2 (large construction) to the orders, linked below). Childcare facilities as a category of essential business have now been expanded to include summer camps, but are still limited to providing supervision for children of persons performing the essential functions allowed under the orders, and are still limited in size to groups of 12 children.

The orders have also created several new definitions: outdoor businesses, outdoor activities, and social distancing requirements. outdoor businesses such as plant nurseries, gardening/landscaping services, and environmental site remediation, are now permitted to operate. Cafes, restaurants and bars with outdoor seating are not considered outdoor businesses. Participation in outdoor activities, including outdoor recreation at parks, beaches, and open spaces, is permitted consistent with social distancing requirements. Outdoor recreational facilities with high-touch or shared equipment will remain closed to public access.

Social distancing requirements means: maintaining at least six-feet distance from individuals not within the same household; frequently washing hands; covering coughs and sneezes; wearing a face covering when in public; and avoiding all social interaction outside the household when sick with a fever, cough or other COVID-19 symptoms. 

All essential businesses and any facility open for purposes of minimum basic operations must follow the updated social distancing protocol incorporated as Appendix A to the orders, and post a copy of the social distancing protocol at or near the entrance of the facility (fillable PDF version here). The social distancing protocol now requires employees and members of the public entering these facilities to wear face coverings, consistent with the April 17 face covering orders (linked below).

The orders will be in effect until May 31, but also incorporate the “COVID-19 Indicators,” which outline when it is appropriate to ease stay-home restrictions further. The COVID-19 indicators include: the number of cases and hospitalizations per day; capacity of hospitals to provide care for a surge of COVID-19 cases; supply of personal protective equipment; testing availability; and contact tracing.


LINKS

Alameda County

Face Covering Order

FAQs

Summary of Changes

Face Covering Order

Contra Costa County

Face Covering Order

FAQs

Press Release

Marin County

Press Release

Face Covering Order

San Francisco

Face Covering Order

FAQs

Press Release

San Mateo County

Appendix A

Appendix B-1

Appendix B-2

Face Covering Order

FAQs

Press Release

Santa Clara County 

Appendix A

Appendix B-1

Appendix B-2

Face Covering Order

FAQs

Summary of Changes

Press Release


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