New Travel Restrictions For San Francisco Go Into Effect Friday

San Francisco CA

17 December, 2020

5:35 PM

Description

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — New travel restrictions that will go into effect first thing Friday morning will require anyone returning to San Francisco from anywhere outside the Bay Area to quarantine for 10 days, according to a plan announced Thursday by Mayor London Breed and the city's director of health and that will stay into place into early January. The restrictions allow for only minimal exceptions, including for those who travel for essential activities. Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax also announced Thursday that non-essential travel even within the 10-county region is strongly discouraged due to an increase in positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. "COVID-19 cases are surging in San Francisco and across the country. Hospitals in the Bay Area are close to being overwhelmed," Breed said in a news release issued Thursday announcing the restrictions. "We must do whatever we can to contain the virus and stop its circulation in our community. Now is not the time to travel and risk being exposed or exposing others. We need to do the right thing to protect ourselves, our neighbors and our loved ones and make sure that we can celebrate together when this is over." The new restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning and will remain in place until 12:01 a.m. Jan. 4. That period may be extended, Breed said, if the surge of positive cases within the region continues. The restrictions require anyone traveling to San Francisco from outside of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Santa Cruz counties. That includes returning residents, people moving to San Francisco, those who work in the city and visitors unless specifically exempted by the order. A full list of exemptions can be found here. Travel restrictions do not apply to medical professionals, first responders, those on official government business, essential infrastructure work and others requiring medical care or those traveling to the city by court order. Those traveling into San Francisco International Airport on connecting flights and who are not staying overnight are not forced to quarantine, the mayor's office said. Individuals required to quarantine must remain home without physical interaction with others outside their household except in emergency or health care situations. They are not allowed to go to work, school, or any other venue outside their home for 10 days, according to a news release issued by Breed's office on Thursday. As of Wednesday, the Bay Area's intensive care unit capacity had fallen below 15 percent and triggered a regional Stay at Home order. California has reported more than 100,o00 new positive COVID-19 cases over the previous two days, state health officials said and 379 people died from the virus on Wednesday, establishing a new single-day record since the pandemic began. "This virus spreads through human interaction and social gatherings, including through people with no symptoms. We need to take steps now to control the spread of the virus and save lives," Colfax said in the news release. "Quarantining people who have traveled and been in contact with others is one way to help manage the spread of COVID-19."