San Francisco (AFP) – Millions of San Francisco area residents on Monday were ordered to stay home to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus as part of a lockdown effort covering a section of California including Silicon Valley.
Six counties in the region and the city of Berkeley joined the effort after data showed 258 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with four deaths in the jurisdictions with some seven million people.
A “remain-in-place” order announced by San Francisco Mayor London Breed will go into effect at the end of Tuesday here and remain in force until April 7, with the possibility it will be extended.
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed’s unapologetic embrace of Hasan Piker
Terror suspects indicted after allegedly throwing bombs at NYC protest outside mayor’s mansion
A-10 Warthog given new maritime role targeting boats in Iran after efforts to retire aircraft
Breaking: Oil Plummets After Trump Announces Iran Ceasefire
Abortion pill mifepristone stays available by mail for now as FDA faces 6-month review deadline
Pope Leo calls out Trump’s Iran rhetoric before last-minute ceasefire emerges
Liberals tighten grip on battleground state Supreme Court in low-key but high-stakes election
American couple chasing retirement dream in Bahamas boating mystery were ‘inexperienced’: Friend
Swalwell campaign rejects ‘outrageous’ allegations of sexual misconduct as Dem activists issue viral warning
Watch: The Country Would ‘Come Unglued’ – Tim Burchett Reveals Alien Life Briefing He Attended 2 Weeks Ago
Texas man tackled by church security after bringing loaded gun, ammo to Houston service
ESPN Set to Begin Layoffs Due to ‘Unexpected Revenue Dip’: Report
Trump-backed Republican pads GOP’s fragile House majority by winning showdown for MTG’s former seat
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El Sayed labels Trump Netanyahu’s ‘dumba**’ over Iran war
UK Bans Kanye West: Rapper’s Presence Not ‘Conducive to the Public Good’
“We know these measures will significantly disrupt people’s day to day lives, but they are absolutely necessary,” Breed said.
“This is going to be a defining moment for our city and we all have a responsibility to do our part to protect our neighbors and slow the spread of this virus by staying at home unless it is absolutely essential to go outside.”
The order directs all residents to remain in their homes unless they need to tend to “essential” activities.
Covered by the shutdown were the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara along with the city of Berkeley.
When people do go out, they are to remain at least six feet (two meters) away from anyone else.
Businesses not deemed essential are to suspend operations, and gatherings of any kind outside of those sharing homes will be prohibited, the order mandates.
The list of businesses considered essential included hospitals, banks, fueling stations, transit, police, fire, and grocery shops.
San Francisco residents were told they can go outside for walks as long as they keep their distance from anyone else who is out and about.
Homeless people were urged to seek shelter.
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed’s unapologetic embrace of Hasan Piker
Terror suspects indicted after allegedly throwing bombs at NYC protest outside mayor’s mansion
A-10 Warthog given new maritime role targeting boats in Iran after efforts to retire aircraft
Breaking: Oil Plummets After Trump Announces Iran Ceasefire
Abortion pill mifepristone stays available by mail for now as FDA faces 6-month review deadline
Pope Leo calls out Trump’s Iran rhetoric before last-minute ceasefire emerges
Liberals tighten grip on battleground state Supreme Court in low-key but high-stakes election
American couple chasing retirement dream in Bahamas boating mystery were ‘inexperienced’: Friend
Swalwell campaign rejects ‘outrageous’ allegations of sexual misconduct as Dem activists issue viral warning
Watch: The Country Would ‘Come Unglued’ – Tim Burchett Reveals Alien Life Briefing He Attended 2 Weeks Ago
Texas man tackled by church security after bringing loaded gun, ammo to Houston service
ESPN Set to Begin Layoffs Due to ‘Unexpected Revenue Dip’: Report
Trump-backed Republican pads GOP’s fragile House majority by winning showdown for MTG’s former seat
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El Sayed labels Trump Netanyahu’s ‘dumba**’ over Iran war
UK Bans Kanye West: Rapper’s Presence Not ‘Conducive to the Public Good’
“Our response has been grounded in data, science, and facts,” San Francisco director of health Grant Colfax said in a release.
“Based on what we can predict, now is the time to do everything we can to prevent the situation from getting much worse in a matter of days or weeks. Every hour counts.”
The affected region includes the cities of Oakland, Palo Alto and San Jose and headquarters of tech firms include Apple, Google, Facebook and Netflix.
Story cited here.
