San Francisco announced Thursday that it is extending its home-stay and ten-day travel quarantine orders.
Both orders remain in effect until California lifts its home order for the entire Bay Area region. Even then, San Francisco officials will reevaluate coronavirus-related data, such as the availability of beds for intensive care units, to make sure they feel comfortable easing current restrictions.
“We have been proactive in putting the accommodation and travel quarantine in place to protect San Franciscans and in the hope that we can act quickly and reopen faster,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “It seems to be working, but we need more time to determine that we are moving in the right direction and that the December holidays are not holding us back. There are glimmers of hope and now is not the time to stop. . “
The travel quarantine order, implemented on Dec. 17, requires people traveling to San Francisco from outside the Bay to be quarantined for ten days.
The city and province’s home order went into effect on December 3rd. Two weeks later, it is required by the state under its local home order because the availability of beds in the Bay Area region has fallen below 15%. The state may lift its order for the Bay Area region as early as Jan. 7, but San Francisco does not expect that to happen due to the increase in case numbers and taxed ICUs.
San Francisco said both health orders appeared to have slowed down the infection rate.
“Although business is still climbing, it is increasing more slowly than when the orders were implemented,” the city and state said in a statement. “As a result of our collective action, more than 400 deaths may have occurred.”