The new rules would also limit hotels in the county to only essential travel and require travelers coming into the county from distances greater than 150 miles to quarantine first for 14 days.
All youth, collegiate contact sports in Santa Clara County will also be temporarily prohibited. That includes the San Francisco 49ers, who play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Health officials throughout the Bay Area have explained that they have yet to reach the same critical point as Santa Clara County, but admit they may also have to take similar actions soon in order to preserve remaining regional hospital capacity to treat COVID-19 while still treating non-COVID-19 medical conditions, such as severe illnesses caused by flu.
A month ago, 262 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the greater Bay Area.
That number has nearly tripled to 759, the latest count.
Health officers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Francisco counties, and the city of Berkeley, express their unified support for Santa Clara County’s new rules.
“COVID doesn’t care about borders or county lines. What is happening in Santa Clara County now may reach that level elsewhere in the Bay Area in the near future,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County’s health officer.
No new restrictions were set to take effect in Contra Costa County as of Saturday night.
