Berkeley: State Lifts Emergency "Stay At Home Order," But Restrictions Remain As Cases Stay High

Berkeley CA

25 January, 2021

9:37 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Berkeley: January 25, 2021 Press Contact: Matthai Chakko, (510) 981-7008 Outdoor dining, nail salons, religious events and others open -- with restrictions Berkeley, California (Monday, January 25, 2021) - COVID-19 is spreading in the Bay Area at a slower rate that reflects the collective impact of myriad individual decisions to stay home as much as possible -- and leading to the state's lifting on Monday of stricter restrictions put in place to slow an unprecedented surge of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The state decision to remove a regional stay home order transitions from a perilous projection of overflowing hospital intensive care units to a pandemic stage that's still critical. Countywide rates for new cases and positive tests are still high enough to put the City and Alameda County into the state's most restrictive tier, "Purple." A new City Public Health Order aligns with the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Everyone must still act with caution as the state allows more public activities. Each activity requires safeguards and specific restrictions: Restaurants can resume outdoor dining. Gyms and fitness studios can reopen outdoors. Religious and cultural activities may take place outdoors. A household may gather outdoors with up to two other households as long as they use face coverings, keep the meetings short and don't include anyone feeling sick. Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, piercing shops, tattoo parlors, and other personal care services can operate indoors. Grocery stores can increase from 35 percent capacity to 50 percent, including hired shoppers Hotels and short-term rentals for non-essential travel can resume. As more options for public activities re-emerge, people should choose lower risk activities and budget their overall risk by being selective. "Strong actions by untold thousands upon thousands of people have reduced the impact of COVID-19," said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer. "Yet the path ahead still requires us to be conscious that the virus is still with us. Wearing masks, washing hands, keeping six feet from other households and avoiding crowds remain essential." As businesses re-open, restrictions apply All businesses must comply with industry guidance from the State of California. Even as more indoor activities are allowed, any business that can serve people outside should maximize opportunities to do so. The City of Berkeley has streamlined permitting processes and expanded the range of allowed outdoor activities on both public and private property. See our outdoor commerce guide for assistance. Gatherings allowed, with restrictions The state's rules on gatherings allow outdoor gatherings of no more than 3 households. They are safer when they are a small, stable group. Keep six feet of distance, especially when people are eating or drinking without face coverings. Spend no more than 2 hours at the gathering, but keeping it shorter will reduce exposure. People at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to not to attend any gatherings. Compared to someone 18-29 years of age, someone 65-74 years old is 5 times more likely to be hospitalized and 90 times more likely to die of COVID-19. Those risks multiply even further for older age brackets. Budget your activities to limit overall risk Everyone should continue to take precautions and limit their overall public activities. Just because an activity is permitted doesn't mean the risk of infection has vanished. Indoor activities continue to pose greater risk of transmission than outdoor ones. When leaving the safety of home, use three questions to help assess the risk of a particular activity: Where will you go? Who will attend? What will happen? These questions should also help you avoid confined spaces, crowds and close contact with those outside your household. Instead of doing all public activities, budget your risk by prioritizing those that are most important to you and forgoing others. If you get a haircut indoors, cook at home or order takeout instead of going out to eat in the following days. Each activity adds risk, and by framing your activities in terms of trade offs, you can lower your risk level. Even as hospitals gain available beds and the virus spread slows, we also know that COVID-19 can quickly spread yet again. "We are relieved to be out of the most extreme danger," said Dr. Hernandez, Berkeley's Health Officer. "Yet this easily spreading disease means that we cannot let our guard down. Our vigilance keeps ourselves, our families and our communities safe." Links: City of Berkeley Health Order City of Berkeley Outdoor Commerce Guide California State Blueprint for a Safer Economy State of California Industry Guidance Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our News page, email or Follow @CityofBerkeley . This press release was produced by the City of Berkeley. The views expressed here are the author's own.