Starting on Sunday night, December 6, Contra Costa County will instate a shelter in place order similar to the one in March.

On Friday, Governor Newsom had announced that all areas besides retail and essential operations would be closed in counties where less than 15 percent of the ICU beds were available. Rather than waiting till the final hour, the health officers for the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and the City of Berkeley have decided to place the stay at home measures earlier to prevent the spread of the virus. 

“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody.

Many of the Health officers are concerned that the overflowing ICU capacities will have a big impact on people who may need care other than the COVID-19 virus including heart attacks, strokes, accidents or other critical needs.

Starting Sunday night, residents of the Contra Costa area will not be allowed to dine in or outside at Restaurants, having Bars and wineries closed both indoor and outdoor. Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and other personal care services are to close. Private gatherings of any kind are not permitted, only ones living in the same household are allowed to meet. 

Schools that have received a waiver to reopen can stay open, as well as all essential needs and retail, however only with a 20 percent capacity.

To schedule a fast and free test in Contra Costa County, call 1-844-421-0804 or visit  cchealth.org/coronavirus to schedule online.

To get more information, you can go to the county’s press releases. Subscribe to the City of San Ramon’s newsletter or check the COVID-19 page of their website for updates.