Coronavirus Surge Pushes San Mateo County Into Purple Tier
SAN MATEO, CA — The spike in COVID-19 cases plaguing California drove San Francisco and San Mateo counties into the state's purple tier Saturday, shuttering non-essential businesses such as movie theaters, museums and indoor gyms, and placing nearly 2 million people under curfew.
Last week, San Francisco was the only urban area in the state to avoid being in the purple tier. Today it is 51 of 58 counties at the "widespread" maximum risk level, officials said.
Most Californians are now living unders the state's purple tier health restrictions as coronavirus cases hospitalizations and deaths surge statewide. New cases have spiked by nearly 80 percent over the last two weeks statewide. Anticipating a grim winter, state and local health officials hope the restrictions can stave off the overburdening hospitals. Locally, the restrictions will take effect Sunday, according to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who urged residents to protect themselves and their families.
"Every single person needs to do what they can over the next few weeks. The decisions you make today will impact where we are tomorrow. Do not travel, stay with the people in your household, and wear your masks."
On Monday, the region will also fall under Gov. Gavin Newsom's curfew order for counties in the purple tier. The monthlong partial stay-at-home order requires non-essential work and gatherings to cease from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Indoor worship, indoor movie theaters, indoor gyms and fitness centers, and indoor operations at museums, aquariums, and zoos all will be shuttered. San Francisco will also close outdoor carousels, ferris wheels, and train rides.
Retail stores must limit capacity to 25 percent, but outdoor dining is permitted. Indoor retail and indoor personal services, such as hair and nail salons, outdoor fitness and limited indoor one-on-one personal training at gyms or fitness centers may continue.
Outdoor playgrounds, skate parks (with a 25% capacity limit up to 25 people at a time), batting cages and mini golf, as well as outdoor zoos and art or museum exhibits may remain open.
The local restrictions are less severe compared to other parts of the state such as Los Angeles County, where outdoor dining at restaurants have been closed and residents ordered not to go out for anything other than essential activities through Dec. 20.
San Francisco's troubling numbers show the city averaging 130 new Covid-19 positive cases per day, compared to the 73 per day during the first week of November, Breed said. The city has an estimated 900 COVID-19 cases diagnosed per week -- compared to 217 diagnosed COVID-19 cases the week of Oct. 12.
In San Mateo County, the health department reported an 85 percent spike in new COVID-19 cases from October to November. The county's new adjusted case rate is 7.6 per 100,000 population, officials said Saturday.
"We have not seen numbers like this in quite a while and we really need to reverse this incredibly troubling trend," San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said. "What's important to remember is that we can reverse the trend as long as we follow common-sense health and safety practices."
In San Francisco, all schools already open for in-person learning may continue to offer indoor instruction. Under the purple tier, TK-6 schools that have not yet opened, may apply for a waiver from the health officer to open for indoor in-person instruction. Middle schools and high schools that have not yet opened may not open for indoor instruction, however they may apply to provide outdoor-only learning.
More information about San Francisco's assignment to the Purple tier can be found athttps://sf.gov/LimitedStayHome.
San Francisco's reopening timeline can be found at https://sf.gov/step-by-step/reopening-san-francisco.
Information about statewide tier designations can be found at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-e...
More information on San Mateo County's designation can be found at
Bay City News and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the San Mateo Patch
