Bay Area Counties Impose Tougher Restrictions Amid COVID-19 Spike

With rising numbers in new cases and deaths, more California counties announced new COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday to prevent rising caseloads from spiraling into a statewide hospital crisis.

The booming city of San Francisco is joining a statewide curfew to slow numbers. Tech metropolis Silicon Valley is banning all high school, collegiate, and professional sports as well as imposing a quarantine for those traveling into the region from more than 150 miles away. 

Santa Clara County Health Officer, Dr.Sara Cody said Santa Clara County has the highest case rate in the Bay Area, leading to the stricter rules. 

“This pandemic is like a high-speed train, and our projections tell us that we are on target to derail by around the third week of December if we don’t apply the brakes right now with all our collective might,” she said.

This is a very scary thought for individuals in cities with high pedestrian traffic and close contact. This also affects the sports and entertainment industry in ways we never thought possible. In a statement, the 49ers spoke on the current situation, saying “We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s emergency directive. We are working with the NFL and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed.” 

The restrictions are making it where stores and other facilities will be limited to 10 percent capacity. Essential businesses like grocery stores, drug stores, and pharmacies will be able to operate at 25 percent capacity. The state is officially back to square one. 

The state reported 7,415 coronavirus hospitalizations on Sunday, citing the most recently available data from the previous day. Numbers that aren’t slowing down or leveling out. Making it even more obvious that the regulations should be respected and followed. 

We will keep you all updated throughout this process as we all gear up to lock down for the holidays.