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California Orders COVID Curfew for 41 Counties (But Not SF)

New month-long “Stay at Home” order from 10p to 5a starts Saturday night in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties
By - posted 11/19/2020 No Comment

Non-essential businesses and personal gatherings are prohibited between 10 PM and 5 AM beginning Saturday, November 21 at 10 PM in seven Bay Area counties

In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier.

The order will take effect at 10 PM Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 AM December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

California’s New COVID Curfew

Starts November 21, 2020 at 10pm
Ends December 21, 2020 at 5am (tentative – may be extended)
– Non-essential businesses and personal gatherings are prohibited between 10 PM and 5 AM
– Only applies to Purple Tier counties

  • This order does not apply to persons experiencing homelessness.
  • Exception for those activities associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or required by law
  • Nothing in this order prevents any number of persons from the same household from leaving their residence, lodging, or temporary accommodation, as long as they do not engage in any interaction with (or otherwise gather with) any number of persons from any other household, except as specifically permitted herein.

Affected Bay Area Counties with 10pm to 5am Curfew

  • Sonoma County
  • Napa County
  • Solano County
  • Contra Costa County
  • Alameda County
  • Santa Clara County
  • Santa Cruz County

Exempt Bay Area Counties

For the time being. If they move into Purple tier, then curfew applies

  • San Francisco
  • Marin County
  • San Mateo County

What if a county moves into the purple tier? – For counties that move into Tier One (Purple) after the effective date of this Order, the terms of this Order shall apply at 10:00pm PST on day two after the county is assigned to Tier One (Purple). For the purpose of counting days, day one shall be the first full day following the date of the tier assignment.

This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.

Related – California Might Have Statewide “Curfew” Soon – 11/17/20

COVID-19 case rates increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November. As a result, Governor Newsom and California’s public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect Californians and the state’s health care system, which could experience an unprecedented surge if cases continue their steep climb.

On Monday, the state pulled an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy putting more than 94 percent of California’s population in the most restrictive tier. The state will reassess data continuously and move more counties back into a more restrictive tier, if necessary. California is also strengthening its face covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions.

Late last week, the state issued a travel advisory, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local