Oakland Could Quickly Move To Tougher Restrictions

ROCKRIDGE, CA — As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to soar in the East Bay and beyond, health officers from both East Bay counties hint that more restrictions could be enacted. While those are being contemplated, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that another stay-at-home order is possible.

On Saturday, Santa Clara County announced a 14-day quarantine for residents and visitors who arrive from more than 150 miles away, banned contact sports until at least Dec. 21, reduced the number of customers allowed in stores at a given time, and limited hotels to essential travelers only.

Health officers from Contra Costa and Alameda counties, along with the City of Berkeley, San Francisco, and Marin County quickly issued a joint statement supporting the new order.

The statement reads, “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 (Friday), that number had nearly tripled to 759.”

By Monday morning at 11:30, according to Contra Costa Health Services, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had grown to 867.

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Like Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Santa Clara County was already in the purple tier, California’s most restrictive. The measures announced Saturday go beyond state recommended restrictions.

"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.

Newsom announced Monday that California's COVID-19 risk system may see additional restrictions as part of a "deep purple" stay-at-home order.

The stay-at-home order could be enacted in counties that are experiencing particularly concerning trends when it comes to hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity, he said. It will be more akin to the stay-at-home order issued at the onset of the pandemic, with modifications.

State officials will be evaluating real-time data on the availability of hospital and ICU beds over the next day or two to assess which counties should be placed into the new sub-tier.

"If these trends continue, we're going to have to take much more dramatic — arguably drastic — action," Newsom said.

>>Related: More CA Restrictions, Stay-Home Orders Possible: Newsom

In Alameda County, there have been a total of 29,476 confirmed cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 512 deaths. At the current rate of spread, the county will top the 30,000 cases mark this week, perhaps as early as tomorrow. On Nov. 23 there were 545 new cases, the highest one-day total since the first case was recorded.

Officials are worried about a post-Thanksgiving spike in cases as people gathered locally or traveled to visit relatives or friends, against public health recommendations.

Of the nearly 30,000 cases in Alameda County, there have been 10,678 cases here in Oakland.

Here’s a look at other communities:

Bay Area Health Officers urged people to continue taking basic safety precautions to protect themselves and others from COVID-19:

• Wear face coverings when around people you don’t live with
• Stay home as much as possible. If you must go out, limit yourself to essential activities, such as grocery shopping or getting healthcare
• Avoid mixing with people from other households
• Maintain physical distancing from others
• Wash your hands regularly