Six Bay Area counties, Berkeley lighten health order restrictions

Six Bay Area jurisdictions slightly relaxed the region’s COVID-19 coronavirus shelter-in-place order Monday, allowing multiple industries to resume operations and retail businesses to offer storefront pick-up.

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties and the city of Berkeley announced the modifications to the order after multiple indicators showed recent progress toward curbing the spread of the virus.

Since the most recent modification of the stay-at-home order on May 4, new cases have remained static or decreased even in most counties as the region ramps up its testing capacity, hospitalizations are stable or declining, hospitals and health care facilities no longer face personal protective equipment shortages and all six jurisdictions have bolstered their contact tracing and case investigation abilities.

New cases, however, are steadily climbing in Alameda County at a relatively high rate.

As a result, the manufacturing and warehousing industries will be allowed to resume operations. The six counties and one city will also allow the logistical operations in support of retail businesses to resume.

Businesses will still be required to follow local physical distancing and sanitization protocols to maintain worker and customer safety.

The six jurisdictions said in a joint statement:

“We are counting on these businesses to consistently follow social distancing protocols and public health guidance to protect their employees and customers as these activities resume.”

The statement continued:

“COVID-19 continues to pose a very significant risk to our communities, and that continued vigilance is necessary to ensure that we do not see an increase in spread as more activities resume.”

Bay Area residents will still be required to wear face coverings in public and health officers across the region encourage members of the public to stay home as much as possible.