All construction allowed to resume under extended Bay Area shelter-in-place order
All construction will be allowed to continue under a revised shelter-in-place order in six Bay Area counties.
TODD JOHNSON | SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
All construction will be allowed to resume in six Bay Area counties where a shelter-in-place order was extended through the end of May this week, so long as safety measures are in place at building sites, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday.
San Francisco’s order has been in place since March 17 and been extended once already. The most recent extension, which will go into effect at midnight on May 3, was announced earlier this week. The orders are active across Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Along with construction sites, businesses that operate outdoors and are considered “low risk” — such as plant nurseries, car washes and flea markets — will also be allowed to reopen under the Bay Area’s extended order. Golf courses, skate parks and certain other outdoor recreational facilities will also be given the green light.
However, mass gatherings and crowded events are “still months away from being permitted,” according to Breed’s office.
“The small changes to loosen restrictions on some lower-risk activities are the result of the outstanding job by our residents of abiding by the rules and precautions that have helped keep our community safe,” Breed said in a statement. “I know this is hard for everyone, but we have to keep our focus on protecting public health every step of the way. Our focus now must be on continuing to strengthen our system and track progress as we plan for the future steps we can take if we continue to see improvements.”
In the coming month, San Francisco’s health department and its partner agencies will work to put in place the infrastructure needed to reopen the local economy, including “testing, contact tracing, outbreak response, and support services, including multi-lingual outreach and information,” according to Breed’s office.
The public will still be required to practice social distancing and wear face coverings until the order is lifted.
When that will be is still unclear — indicators include the number of hospitalized patients with Covid-19 flattening or decreasing and capacity at local hospitals. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently laid out a four-phase plan to relax the statewide shelter-in-place order.
Under stage 2, which Newsom said would be implemented in “a matter of weeks,” nonessential retail, manufacturing, logistics and office-based businesses, where telework is not possible, could reopen. The state may also loosen its restrictions on some public spaces.