The “stay-at-home” order which was issued for the Bay Area on March 16, and was tentatively slated to remain in place until April 7, is proactively being extended to “at least” May 1.  The official announcement will be made tomorrow (3/31).

Per the terms of the original order, which might be modified, all residents are expected to continue to stay home, “except to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job,” with the following essential services slated to remain open while the order is in effect:

  • Hospitals, clinics, healthcare operations, home-care providers and pharmacies
  • Police stations, fire stations, jails, courts, garbage/sanitation, transportation (including Muni, taxis and ride share providers), utilities (water, power and gas), and city offices
  • Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, pet supply and convenience stores
  • Restaurants providing take-out and delivery services, exclusively
  • Gas stations, auto-supply and auto-repair shops
  • Banks and related financial institutions
  • Newspapers, television, radio, and other media services
  • Hardware stores, plumbing, electrical, extermination, and other providers that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
  • Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers
  • Legal and accounting services which are necessary to assist in the compliance with legally mandated activities
  • Community benefit organizations on a case-by-case basis
  • Childcare facilities providing services that enable essential employees to work as permitted

Per the original order, any individual who is sick, “may [not] go to the workplace or be outside the home except as necessary to seek or receive medical care in accordance with guidance from public health officials.”

And while it was okay for individuals “to engage in outdoor activity,” including with one’s pet, as long as a six foot buffer from anyone else was maintained, the expectation was that said activity would be near one’s home (“If you need to get into a car or on public transportation to go for a walk or run, you’re going too far”).

All in-person group activities of any size, which includes inviting a non-household member over to one’s home or living unit, were disallowed; all bars, nightclubs, gyms and salons were closed; shopping for non-essential goods, other than online or virtually, was disallowed; and all unnecessary trips “on foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, automobile, or public transit” were prohibited (which we realize might appear to contradict the ability to “engage in outdoor activity,” but there’s a specific exemption for said activity assuming the aforementioned buffer is employed).

If enforced, a violation of the order would be a misdemeanor. And while exempted from the order, homeless individuals are “urged to find shelter” (which government agencies are being “urged to provide”).

UPDATE (3/31): Five Explicit Changes to the Bay Area’s Stay-at-Home Order (which has been extended to May 3).

17 thoughts on “Bay Area ‘Stay-at-Home’ Order Extended to May”
    1. Available to watch online at the PBS website and shown on KQED last night, the 1998 American Experience episode “Influenza 1918” highlighted the fact that St Louis had very few cases/deaths compared to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh because of the shut down order in St Louis. Hopefully the nation’s first shelter in place orders for the Bay Area will help keep cases and deaths at the low end.

      1. If you scroll thru the stories on the link – 50 cities are covered, including SF, Oakland and LA – you’ll find that SF did rather poorly …closer to Philly than St Lo. Oakland did somewhat better, tho it’s not entirely clear why…the Bay Area as a whole was mask crazy – “mask slacker” was a popular newspaper term – but it didn’t seem to have been terribly effective, tho given what was used for masks then that’s not very surprising.

  1. What restrictions, if any, are there on showing real estate that is vacant, and for sale or for rent?

    1. This video was sent to all San Francisco Realtors today from our association. It outlines the most recent restrictions on showing real estate.

    2. The San Francisco Realtors Association sent out a notice today that there will be no in-person showings for the time being as they don’t want to test the temporary nature of the real estate exemption to the shelter order.

      1. So, virtual showings only, I guess. What about meeting with new tenants for signing a lease and taking a deposit once all has been negotiated?

        1. Anecdotally, move in/out in the medium-size apartment building I live in seems to be continuing close to normally. Building management is conducting virtual tours of vacant units. Lease signing and deposit payment is online. Building managers who would normally work in the office on-site are now limiting on-site time as much as possible, so they come in only to give virtual tours and do key hand-offs.

        2. I haven’t had a vacancy during the lockdown, but if I did, I’d do virtual showings and do the signing via Docusign. I’d ask for electronic payments of deposit and first month’s rent if there was time to set that up, otherwise I’d probably ask for a check through the mail slot or something. I’d hand over keys at arm’s length, literally.

          I usually like to do the initial walkthrough/inventory in person with the tenants, but in this case, I’d do the walkthrough and fill out an inventory form, then give a copy to the tenant at move-in and ask them to note any discrepancies and return the form within a couple of days.

          I also think I’d ask to be informed of their move-in plans, and I’d email surrounding tenants to make them aware and allow them to avoid contact with the people who were moving furnishings.

        3. My manager is using ShowMojo for vacant units. An electronic lock box. If the individual chooses to rent the documents are done electronically. Before move-in the property is thoroughly cleaned before move-in including use of an ozone machine.

  2. Adding to the generally gloomy nature of this is that businesses, including (in addition to the Soccer mecca shown above) Union Sq dept stores – going by a pic in Friday’s paper – feel it necessary to board over their windows…apparently burglary is exempt as an ‘essential business’?

    1. Retailers across America and in Europe are boarding their windows. The shots from Beverley Hills are surprising. A supposedly sophisticated area – it tells you how fragile “civilization” is.

      1. A good time to remember that America is awash with guns. If you believe the NRA we should be much safer than Europe.

      2. Uhhhmm…..
        On re-examination, I know that stores used to cover their windows on Sundays to discourage the sin of Sabbath-breaking-thru-window-shopping. So perhaps a similar public spirit is at work here.
        🙂
        Or not.

  3. Don’t need a gun to loot, and the safest place in LA during the Rodney King riots were Korean businesses. #RooftopKoreans

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