While Governor Gavin Newsom and some public health officials have said they don’t forsee further COVID-19-related shutdowns, local governments continue to impose further safety measures.
In the Bay Area, local governments are already taking steps. Yesterday, Sonoma County banned large gatherings for the next month.
In San Francisco and Oakland, students and teachers are threatening sickouts, saying they won't show up to school without heightened health and safety protocols by their respective school districts.
West Contra Costa Unified is now requiring employees to wear KN95 masks and students to wear surgical masks. That district reopened Tuesday closing schools for two days. Hayward Unified this week moved online for at least a week after more than 500 students tested positive and teachers were absent from more than half of classrooms.
In several districts, parent volunteers are helping to fill the gaps. Palo Alto managed to avoid shuttering Monday only after 450 parent volunteers filled positions ranging from custodians to in-classroom roles. In Sacramento City Unified, parents have also been asked to help supervise classrooms.
Nurses’ and caregivers unions have planned demonstrations today to demand safer working conditions at nine Bay Area hospitals in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Antioch and Santa Rosa. A growing number of hospitals are cancelling or postponing certain surgeries.
The state prison system on Saturday suspended in-person visits as COVID surges among employees and inmates.
Restaurants are also shuttering across the state. The mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and San Rafael recently joined 21 others across the country in begging Congress to provide emergency relief to stave off permanent closures and "catastrophic" economic impacts.
