On Monday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said that the city's shelter-in-place order has been extended to at least May 1, 2020. Initially put in place on March 17, the order was originally scheduled to expire next Tuesday, April 7.
More details will be announced tomorrow, but "for the sake of planning, you should definitely plan to stay at home until at least May," Mayor Breed says.
The decision was expected by many, as President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that social distancing guidelines should be extended nationwide through the end of April. The state of California also has a stay-at-home order in place that has no definite end date.
As of Monday at 9 a.m., there are 374 confirmed COVID-19 cases in San Francisco. Six people have died from the virus, and 58 are hospitalized with it.
Mayor Breed emphasized the seriousness of the situation as the reason the "city has been pretty much shut down."
We're working to slow the spread of coronavirus in San Francisco, but we know that the challenges we face are going to get tougher.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) March 30, 2020
The public health order for people to say safe in their homes will soon be extended until at least May 1. More details to come soon.
In other COVID-19 news, Laguna Honda Hospital has become a site of particular concern, with 11 people— nine staff members and two patients — testing positive for the virus. Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the SF Department of Public Health (DPH), said that he expects the situation at the hospital to get worse.
District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee, whose district includes the hospital, says it has been completely closed off to visitors. "A tough decision," he said.
Colfax said that DPH is now also sending health inspectors to conduct inspections at the city's single resident occupancy hotels (SROs), where they will be focusing to check if hygiene and cleaning protocols are being followed. They will also let residents know who to call in case they get sick.
Asked if any residents will be moved to different facilities if proper procedures aren't being followed, Colfax said that the focus right now is on testing residents with COVID-19 symptoms, so they can self-quarantine.
Yee and Breed once again urged San Franciscans to only go out for essential needs, to wash hands and to practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others when going outside.
Breed noted that this weekend appeared to show better adherence to the social distancing rules by San Franciscans. "Things looked like somewhat of a success," she said.
As we reported on Friday, Ocean Beach, Crissy Field and Baker Beach parking lots were closed in order to promote social distancing.
