SANTA CLARA County, Calif. (KRON) – The county of Santa Clara has announced revisions to the coronavirus guidelines amid rising cases and hospitalizations.
The surge of cases in Santa Clara has shattered records today by more than 200 cases.
County officials say it has the highest case rate than any other county in the bay area, which is why they’re adding these restrictions.
The new health orders reduce the indoor capacity of all stores to 10%, grocery & pharmacy to 25%, and outdoor gatherings are limited to 100 people.
Additionally, people must quarantine for 14 days after traveling more than 150 miles before returning to the county.
Hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed, so health officials are urging everyone to stay home.
The new order also prohibits contact sports including professional, college, and youth sports.
Health officers from four Bay Area counties and the City of Berkeley expressed their support for Santa Clara County’s new health order.
While health officials in neighboring Bay Area counties say they haven’t reached the same critical point as Santa Clara, they may also have to take similar actions soon in order to preserve remaining regional hospital capacity to treat both COVID and non-COVID medical conditions, such as severe illnesses caused by flu.
A month ago, there were 262 people hospitalized with COVID in the Bay Area; as of yesterday, that number had nearly tripled to 759.
“What we see in the South Bay today we may soon see across the whole Bay Area. These actions will help slow the spread of COVID in Santa Clara County and beyond.” said Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer.
The order takes effect on Monday November 30th at midnight and goes through December 21st.