OAKLAND, Calif. - About six weeks after the Bay Area was put into under a shelter-in-place order to curb the spread of coronavirus, the health officers of six counties issued an extension of those rules through May 31.
However, some modifications were made, as long as social distancing rules apply and businesses must ensure that personnel and customers wear face coverings inside.
Here is what the new order says:
All construction projects can resume, provided they comply with the safety protocols.
Commercial as well as residential real estate transactions are allowed to fully resume, but with continued restrictions on in-person viewings and appointments.
Childcare establishments, summer camps, schools, and other educational and recreational programs can operate to provide care and supervision for children to allow all persons who are working in essential businesses or outdoor businesses or performing minimum basic operations to access childcare. They must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer children.
(*This childcare clause is confusing for many parents. The Bay Area order appears to be more lenient than the state's order. The county orders say this applies to essential workers and “people in outdoor businesses.” The state order, however, is more strict and limits childcare (and not camps) to essential workers only. It's unclear how state and local governments will reconcile these conflicts.
On Thursday, Mayor London Breed sent out clarifications on her city's order to help clear up any confusion about what this means. Under San Francisco's order, parents are not allowed to organize small group gatherings of children, she said. And this includes for recreational or any other purpose. The definition of a childcare establishment is relatively broad to allow as many working parents as possible access to childcare so they can do their jobs, Breed said. Schools, camps, and recreational institutions are allowed to operate solely for the purpose of providing childcare to parents allowed to work under the order. "You may not send your child to any of these establishments if you are not working," she said. "Youth sports teams may not meet, practice or play. Recreational gatherings of small groups of children are not allowed."
KTVU has also learned some childcare centers have received special licensing waivers to allow them to operate for all workers with six children every other day. KTVU is seeking to clarify many of these questions.)
Outdoor businesses are now allowed to operate, and people are allowed to visit them to perform work or to obtain goods, services, or supplies. These include retail businesses like nurseries, outdoor service providers like landscapers, and agricultural operations.
All residential moves are now allowed to proceed.
The new order allows shared outdoor recreational facilities that do not encourage gathering or contain high-touch equipment. Anyone using a shared outdoor recreational facility must follow social distancing requirements.
For example, golf is allowed, and everyone on the golf course must follow social distancing requirements.