The shelter-in-place — announced jointly by health officers from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley — is set to go in place in Santa Clara County this Sunday, December 6.

Schools that have received waivers, critical infrastructure, retail at 20 percent capacity and restaurants with take-out and delivery may remain open. Businesses that will be temporarily closed include bars, wineries, personal services, hair salons and barbershops.

Bay Area health officers made the move despite not yet hitting the 15 percent ICU capacity threshold set by the State yesterday. This is the most aggressive action taken against the coronavirus since March.

Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom mandated stay-at-home orders for regions with ICU capacities under 15 percent; none of the five California regions have hit that threshold yet, but the vast majority of the state is expected to reach it in the next few days. 

Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody did note that the county’s ICU capacity is at 14 percent, but the region as a whole is still above the threshold.

The Bay Area region is projected to fall below 15 percent capacity by mid- to late December, but county health officers jointly agreed to put the order in effect preemptively, in an effort to stave off rising cases.

“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake,” Cody said. “We understand that the closures under the State order will have a profound impact on our local businesses. However, if we act quickly, we can both save lives and reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place, allowing businesses and activities to reopen sooner.” 

The order will remain in place until Monday, January 4.