News Update

Newsom Tuesday will address ability of schools and businesses to physical distance; Bay Area counties extend stay at home orders

Before he can loosen the statewide stay at the home order, Gov. Newsom said Monday he needs to consider the ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing. Newsom said he will update progress on Tuesday. Ability to physical distance is one of six indicators Newsom and a task force are working on before he will loosen restrictions on the stay at home order.

Newsom said progress on flattening the curve and increasing testing throughout the state could enable him to begin modifying the stay at home order in the next few weeks, instead of months. But, he cautioned that residents must continue to practice social distancing to prevent a surge in coronavirus cases.

Public health officials in the six Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara announced that they intend to extend their shelter in place joint order on residents and businesses through the end of May, but will ease restrictions on some “lower-risk activities,” which were not specified. Solano County has also extended its shelter in place order through May 17 and Napa County has amended its shelter at home order so it is in effect indefinitely.

Meanwhile, elected officials in the six northern counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba sent a letter to Gov. Newsom asking to lift stay at home restrictions in their jurisdictions, based on a leveling off of coronavirus cases. Elected officials in Stanislaus County have sent a similar request.