Bay Area Counties Enact Stay at Home Order
As cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to rise, Contra Costa County Health Officer Chris Farnitano joined with five other Bay Area Health Officers in enacting a new Stay at Home Order which takes effect at 10:00 p.m. on December 6, 2021. The new order is set to expire on January 4, 2021.
The order issued today parallels the Stay at Home Order announced Thursday by Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom’s order is based on when a region’s available Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds falls to 15% or less. The Bay Area health officers chose to start their Stay at Home order prior to that level for safety reasons.
Under the new order the following are no longer allowed:
- Personal care services (Hair and Nail salons)
- Outdoor dining (takeout and delivery are allowed)
- Indoor gyms
- Outdoor playgrounds
- Drive-in gatherings
- Gatherings with members of other households
A complete list of what is open/closed under the order can be found on the Contra Costa County Health Services website.
Retail stores may remain open but must limit capacity to 20% of maximum.
Actions that members of the public can take to help limit the spread of COVID-19 include:
- Stay home and avoid gatherings outside the family
- Choose low risk activities (running, biking, hiking with those in your family unit)
- Continued use of facial coverings and social distancing
- Telecommute for work when possible
- Avoid any unnecessary travel
- If you have traveled or are staying with someone who has traveled, quarantine for 14 days
We recognize that these closures represent a real hardship to our business community, and we are asking our residents to do all they can to help out during this challenging time. Once the Stay at Home Order is in place, the community is asked to shop and dine locally, using curbside pick-up and takeout to avoid exposure. Supporting our local merchants during this Stay at Home Order will help them to weather this storm and remain in business.
More information on the health order and current COVID-19 cases can be found at www.cchealth.org/coronavirus .