San Francisco mayor triggers new three-week lockdown starting Monday as COVID cases continue to soar - and the 49ers are forced to relocate
A surge in coronavirus cases will put San Francisco under a curfew beginning on Monday and trigger other restrictions related to the virus, the city announced.
The curfew requires non-essential businesses to close and prohibits members of different households from gathering between 10pm and 5am until December 21, Mayor London Breed said Saturday.
San Mateo county outside San Francisco will also be subject to the same rules after the state of California classified both under its most restrictive tier of locations based on the spread of the virus.
In addition to the curfew, certain indoor businesses will be required to either close or reduce capacity beginning on Sunday at noon, Breed said.
The move means the San Francisco 49ers will also be forced to temporarily move away from their stadium to play their games.
Mayor London Breed is issuing new coronavirus restrictions for San Francisco. She is pictured in an online address earlier this month
'I don't know how to be more clear -- this is the most dangerous time we've faced during this pandemic,' Breed said on Twitter.
'Do not travel or gather with others. We have to get this under control now and we can't afford to let things continue at this rate.'
CBS San Francisco reports movie theaters, gyms, and museums must either move outdoors or close under the new restrictions.
Additionally, malls and retail stores will be capped at 25 percent capacity during the forthcoming stretch.
Schools, however, will be able to remain open to indoor instruction.
'What’s important to remember is that we can reverse the trend as long as we follow common-sense health and safety practices,' County Manager Mike Collage said.
On Friday, a temporary ban on gatherings of people from different households, with religious services and protests exempt, was announced for California's largest city, Los Angeles.
That order affecting the United States' second-largest city will take effect Monday and last at least three weeks, until December 20, Los Angeles county's public health department said.
California imposed a night-time curfew across much of the state a week ago, but San Francisco was not affected because it was not at the time classified among the state's most restrictive tier of locations.
San Mateo County outside of San Francisco will be subject to similar restrictions. Pictured: Masked passengers at San Francisco International Airport
Local restrictions will also force the San Francisco 49ers to find a temporary new home
Another restriction in the region will prevent the San Francisco 49ers from holding practices and playing games in Santa Clara for the next few weeks.
NFL.com reports that the team is actively engaged in discussions about the situation and trying to locate a new home for practices and several home games scheduled in December.
According to San Francisco's coronavirus case tracker, there have been 15,342 cases in the city so far, which has accounted for 160 deaths.
The United States on Friday topped 13 million COVID-19 cases -- the world's highest -- and President-elect Joe Biden has warned of difficult weeks ahead before vaccines become widely available.
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