The Bay Area has better COVID-19 numbers than most of California and the U.S., and officials there would like to keep it that way – even if the price is quarantining residents who travel outside the region’s boundaries in the coming weeks and months.
Health officials in San Francisco recommended a two-week quarantine for those who interact within 6 feet of others from outside their households without wearing masks.
“The last thing we need is people traveling outside to higher-prevalence areas and bringing the virus back,” Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County public health officer, said during a recent public meeting about school reopenings.
California, as is the case across the nation, has seen coronavirus infections increase over the past few weeks; the state maintains a rate much lower than most of the U.S.
San Francisco residents have succeeded in leading the way, with the city’s positivity rate of less than 1%. The state overall is at about 3.3%, and California health officials say the nation’s rate is approaching 7%.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of health and human services, cautioned residents to keep following guidelines even though the upward movement in number of new cases is not as significant as it is in other states.
“Although we’re seeing some trends up here in California, those trends are modest, steady. We’re watching them closely,” Ghaly said.
In San Diego County, supervisor Greg Cox echoed Ghaly’s concerns, adding that his county’s residents are less likely to be wearing masks and keeping distant from others.
“The truth is people are tired of this pandemic and unfortunately they’re letting down their guard,” he said in an Associated Press story.
California officials said they expect to release further guidance ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Add comment