Bay Area “Stay Home” Order Officially Extended Through End of May
San Francisco and Bay Area Extend Stay Home Order Through End of May
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Extension of the Health Order is designed to maintain progress on slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The modified Order will loosen restrictions on some lower-risk activities.
Mayor London N. Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax today announced that San Francisco and six other Bay Area jurisdictions will extend the Stay Home Orders through the end of May in order to maintain progress on slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The new Stay Home Order will go into effect at 11:59 pm on May 3, 2020.
In recognition of the gains made to date, the new orders will include minor modifications, while keeping social distancing, face covering, and other safety measures in place. While mass gatherings and crowded occasions are still months away from being permitted, the new regional Stay Home orders will allow some lower-risk outdoor activities and jobs to resume once the new Order goes into effect.
Please note this is an evolving story. News and details may change quickly.
What if there is a conflict between a state and local rule? Also, whenever there is a conflict between and a local or state-wide order, the more restrictive order takes priority. For example, if San Francisco allows beach access, but the state bans it, then the state ban takes precedence.
What Is Now Allowed? – Starting May 4
Changes to Stay Home Order / Limited easing of Restrictions
- All construction will be allowed to resume as long as specific safety measures are in place.
- Certain businesses that operate primarily outdoors, such as plant nurseries, car washes, and flea markets, may reopen under San Francisco’s Order. – A point of clarification, “outdoor businesses” do NOT include restaurants, cafes or bars, regardless of whether they have outdoor seating. Those are not allowed to re-open yet.
- Any employee of a business allowed to operate under the order can also access childcare programs that are allowed to operate.
- Some outdoor recreational facilities, like skate parks and golf courses (maybe)*, may reopen. But outdoor activities that involve shared equipment or physical contact and not yet allowed. – Read more in Funcheap’s Guide to Allowed Outdoor Activities
*There is some conflicting information with regard to golf courses. The new Bay Area stay-at-home order implies that golf courses are allowed to open as long as they “comply” with any restrictions from another government Agency. Since the state rules (as of 4/29/20) are not yet allowing golf courses to re-open, it appears that the state rule may take precedence.
Can I take my dog to a groomer?
Veterinary clinics and similar animal healthcare facilities may provide grooming services, and you may use these services as necessary to maintain the health of your animals. In addition, in-home care for pets is permitted to continue under the Order. Other grooming services are not allowed to operate.Can gardening and landscaping services continue?
Beginning on May 4, Arborists, landscapers, gardeners, and similar service professionals can operate as outdoor businesses, as that term is defined in the Order, but they must strictly comply with social distancing requirements.Can home service workers continue to provide their services?
Beginning on May 4, home service workers—like plumbers, electricians, and exterminators—can keep providing services that are necessary to maintain a livable, sanitary, and functional household, as well as services that are attendant to a construction project. Home-based care for children, adults, seniors, and pets is also allowed under the Order.What is an outdoor business? What requirements apply to them?
An outdoor business is a business that was primarily operating outdoors prior to March 16, 2020, and that has the ability to fully maintain social distancing of at least six feet between all persons. For retail businesses, this means that more than 50% of the total floor area regularly used for product sales was outdoors prior to March 16, 2020. The Order provides some examples of common outdoor businesses, such as plant nurseries, agricultural operations, and landscaping and gardening services. Outdoor businesses, including outdoor retail businesses, must conduct all business and transactions involving members of the public in outdoor spaces. This means that if an outdoor business includes an indoor facility or indoor portion of its retail space that typically serves the public, that indoor facility or indoor portion of retail space must be closed to the public and all sales must take place outdoors. Employees may continue to use the indoor space as necessary and may bring products outdoors for the public. Outdoor businesses must comply with the Order’s social distancing requirements and post a social distancing protocol.Can golf courses reopen under the new Order?
Outdoor recreation facilities that are not expressly prohibited by the Order, such as golf courses, skate parks, and athletic fields, are permitted to open only if they comply with any restrictions on access and use that are established by the Health Officer, another government agency, or other entity that manages such area to reduce crowding and risk of transmission of COVID-19. It is our understating, that as of April 29, 2020, the California State Public Health Officer is not permitting golf courses to be open.What outdoor recreation activities are permitted under the new Order?
- Walking, jogging, or running;
- Hiking;
- Walking dogs on leash;
- Sunbathing or picnicking (but not at picnic benches or tables) when sufficient distance is maintained at all times between members of a household and others not in the same household;
- Bicycling;
- Golf; (although allowed by the Bay Area, as of 4/29/20 the state still prohibits golf)
- Swimming, surfing, or paddling in the ocean or lakes;
- Boating, kayaking, and sculling (but only in craft used solely individuals or if by
more than one individual, only by members of one household);- Paddle boarding, kitesurfing and windsurfing (with the individual’s own equipment);
- Skateboarding, including at a skate-park;
- Roller-skating and roller-blading;
- Archery ranges;
- Tai Chi, yoga, or other activities that can be done with social distancing;
- Bird watching;
- Kite flying;
- Fishing, including fly casting (as long as social distancing can be maintained at all times, and there is no sharing of equipment, including rods, reels, tackle or bait); and
- Individual equestrian activities.
Can I take my kids to the playground?
No. Recreational areas with equipment that lots of people touch or areas where people gather close together, like playgrounds and picnic areas, must be closed and you cannot use them while the Order is in effect. You can take your kids to the park or other areas to run around in open spaces, or bring your own sports equipment to an open space as long as it is used only by members of your own household and not shared with
other people.
Consistent with the plan to reintroduce lower-risk outdoor activity, Mayor Breed on Monday announced the closure of JFK Drive through Golden Gate Park and John Shelley Drive in McLaren Park. These closures will last for the duration of the Stay Home Order, to allow San Franciscans who choose to leave their homes more room to exercise while staying 6 feet from others and following other precautions.
How We’ll Decide if/when We Can Re-Open More
The Bay Area regional approach aligns with Governor Newsom’s ongoing statewide Stay Home Order, and the framework he has laid out for the state’s recovery. As the Health Officers evaluate when and how to loosen restrictions in the coming weeks and months, the key indicators that San Francisco and its regional partners will be watching include:
- Whether the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is flat or decreasing;
- Whether we have sufficient hospital capacity to meet the needs of our residents;
- Whether there is an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for all health care workers;
- Whether we are meeting the need for testing, especially for persons in vulnerable populations or those in high-risk settings or occupations; and
- Whether we have the capacity to investigate all COVID-19 cases and trace all of their contacts, isolating those who test positive and quarantining the people who may have been exposed.
During the month of May, the Health Department and partner agencies will continue to build up the infrastructure required for further reopening. That will include testing, contact tracing, outbreak response, and support services, including multi-lingual outreach and information. Importantly, the consistent practice of social distancing and face covering by members of the public will be essential to the success of the next phase.
As San Francisco embarks on this next phase, the coronavirus is still circulating in the community, and there is still no vaccine to protect against it. Therefore, everyone must continue to practice precautions, and the City will continue to prioritize vulnerable populations in its response. People who are over 60, or have underlying health conditions, and those who live in congregate settings will remain at high risk for the coronavirus even as the city and region start to reopen.
