Bay Area holiday 14-day quarantine considered
Bay Area health officials are set to discuss during a meeting Thursday the possibility of requiring a 14-day quarantine for people returning to the Bay Area from holiday travel.
A similar move has been in place in Hawaii for months and starting Wednesday in New York, those traveling from certain hotspots must quarantine for 14-days or provide a negative COVID-19 test result.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly say... a similar statewide proposal isn't on the list of ideas, but his department will be keeping an eye on how the proposal plays out for the Bay Area.
“Limiting the ability to move from higher transmission areas to low transmission areas may fit what a community needs to keep transmission low for themselves,” Ghaly said Wednesday. “So really looking forward to how the Bay Area counties come together on this to see if it's something that is applicable that should be considered in other regions or statewide should be part of our entire effort to keep transmission low.”
While residents wait for a decision from Bay Area health officials, statewide over the past 14 days there's been a 13.5% increase in hospitalizations and a 19.5% increase in ICU admissions.
“Certainly having this sustained double-digit increase over the many, many weeks will put our hospitals in a difficult position during flu season and when we're trying to keep up with all over routine healthcare that Californians need and deserve,” said Ghaly.
As of Wednesday morning, California had more than 946,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 17,700 deaths related to the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
As far as traveling, it’s important to note that the C.D.C. reports travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Airports, bus stations, train stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces.
As COVID19 cases improve is much of the Bay Area, Contra Costa County is teetering on the wrong edge of the Orange Tier.
Supervisor Candace Andersen says the spike comes just a week after capacity for indoor activities was increased for things like indoor dining.
“We know that next week it's very likely we'll be pushed back into the Red Tier,” said Supervisor Andersen. “It's going to be one where you're going from 50% capacity or 200 people to down to 100 people or 25%. Houses of worship, also indoor theaters that were allowed to go up to 50% occupancy are going to have to go back to 25% capacity.