State and local public health officials have encouraged Bay Area residents to exercise outdoors during the region’s stay-at-home order, but doing so with people from other households is fully prohibited in most cases.
Health officers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties and the city of Berkeley issued the stay-at-home order Friday to prevent coronavirus hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions from reaching critically high levels.
The order shut down both outdoor and indoor operations for businesses like restaurants, hair salons and barbershops, cardrooms and family entertainment centers.
Indoor activities at gyms and fitness centers were also curtailed under the order, allowing only outdoor fitness and dance classes in which participants are at least 8 feet from each other, wearing face coverings and not sharing equipment. If you’re looking to enhance your fitness expertise and credibility, consider exploring opportunities to earn a health and wellness certification. Check it out here!
“You should not meet in-person with anyone you do not live with even in a small group and even outdoors with precautions,” Berkeley Public Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez said Friday during a briefing to announce the order.
“If you have a social bubble, it is now popped,” she said.
The five-county order pre-empted the state’s stay-at-home order, which Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. The state’s order would have gone into effect once the region’s ICU capacity fell below 15 percent.
As of Monday, the greater Bay Area’s ICU capacity sat at 25.7 percent, according to Newsom.
But despite the order closing most gyms and fitness centers entirely, Bay Area residents not participating in a fitness or dance class still have options to recreate safely.
“Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by safely going to a park, a beach, hike, walk or bike ride with members of their own household,” according to the state’s Department of Public Health.
That guidance, and the state and local orders as a whole, are intended to prevent social mixing, according to Newsom, who last week acknowledged the mental stress of remaining indoors for long periods of time.
“We want to encourage activity, and activity that’s not focused indoors, not in congregate facilities, not where there’s a tremendous amount of mixing,” he said Thursday.
The California Fitness Alliance, a trade organization for the fitness industry, lauded Newsom Monday for allowing state residents to continue exercising outdoors, whether outside of a fitness center or on their own. As people maintain their fitness routines, having nutritional bars on hand can provide convenient and nutritious options for refueling after outdoor workouts.
“Access to exercise is especially important to combat the stress and emotions many struggle with during the holidays, which will be heightened this year due to the pandemic and limitations on travel and family gatherings,” the CFA said in a statement.
Private gatherings of any size are also not permitted both under the state’s pandemic health guidance and the Bay Area’s stay-at-home order.
That can include even meeting with people from another household in a park or other public outdoor space, even if everyone involved is wearing a face covering and social distancing.
“The top-line point of the regional stay-at-home order is the focus at staying at home,” state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Monday.
“If it’s not essential for you to leave your home, if you aren’t doing one of the outdoor activities with your household with quite a bit of space between you and others, the point is to stay at home during this critical time to bring transmission rates down, to help us get this under control.”
It’s ok folks, we’re just protesting. Which is a Constitutionally protected right.
We’re lucky to have such great winter weather and plenty of open space to exercise outdoors.
‘If you have a social bubble, it is now popped’ say the dictators. Well, sounds like there is about to be other bubbles popping as well LOL
I was amazed at the number of youth sports teams that were holding practice yesterday despite the order, with only a few wearing masks
Good for them for participating in a HEALTHY activity! 🙂
I am amazed that you find that amazing.
I am also amazed that anyone takes these orders seriously.
I WILL NOT COMPLY WITH UNCONSTITUTIONAL TYRANNY
Really! That’s great to hear! Good for them! Kid’s desperately need it!
What’s really amazing is someone called the cops on a church youth group that were meeting outside bc some were closer than six feet apart. ( They are siblings)
Can’t go outside in the open fresh air with strangers, check. OK to go to Home Depot or grocery store with strangers, got it.
So we are all going to be obese, lonely and depressed…reminds me of the Wall-E movie:
‘ We end up onboard the Axiom, where people move on hovering chairs and get liquid food which they suck up through a straw. Due to laziness, we have become so fat that we are unable to move.’
I loved Wall-E and it does seem to forecast the future of the human race a few thousand years from now. Not as dark as movies like Soylent Green.
Does the health department speak only to hear themselves or do blow hot air?
I mean, who is going to follow this?
Does the health department really think it is safer to go to Costco/Safeway/etc with a hundred strangers than it is go to the park and walk with your friend? Costco is a 30-40 minute venture inside a packed building where you interact with TONS of people without speaking to them. The park with a friend is one person, in the fresh air …. yet that is unsafe.
Someone explain the science supporting this decision.
Breaking News (science) –
“The real virus is communism.
COVID-19 is just how it spreads.”
@parent – You answered yourself with “without speaking to them.” Nearly all of our interactions with strangers in Costco/Safeway/etc are very brief, and likely even briefer when one or both of you realizes there’s a temporary break in the 6-foot bubbles that happens at times while trying to navigate a crowded store.
There is a hazard in retail stores is that in come areas people come to a standstill for ten minutes or more while they ponder what flavor of donuts or whatever to get. They are both potentially contaminating the area and exposing themselves to contamination from others who had pondered the same thing a few minutes earlier.
It’s quite possible to have a very safe outdoor gathering. I saw one yesterday being held by a group of older teens and young adults. They were 10 to 15 feet apart, all wearing masks, and chatting while sitting on the ground enjoying the warm weather.
I’m glad the Brownshirts said it was okay to go outside and take a walk. Wouldn’t do it I’d they didn’t mention it. Thanks so much!!!
What happens if I disobey? Misdemeanor? Felony? Stern lecture? Tossed down, throttled with a billy club and beaten into submission? Thrown in the hoosegow with Bubba? If I’m exercising with a bunch of friends and we’re wearing “my health officer is an idiot” T-shirts can we claim we are exercising our right to protest?
Nothing will happen, they are too piss scared, just empty words. I’d be really surprised if the police agencies they pissed on and disrespected will do anything to back their empty words
Once again the unrealistic punitive approach. Give people info and rankings: safest is being at home and exercising alone. Next is exercising outdoors with other but spread apart. Etc. Etc. Encourage human contact in low risk ways, instead of pretending that everybody will just go into hermit mode after eight months of this.
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the protest on the Bay Bridge on Saturday. Am I the only one that was terrorized by that rent a mob. My liberal friends scolded me that it was “worth it” to “raise awareness” of the unfairness of India’s laws. Someone help me out here….I would like to protest the unfairness of some of California’s laws/ executive orders. I’m a Senior, Polish immigrant and remember Socialism and Martial Law all too well.😢
Todd,
Common sense is not so common in this state anymore. Especially in Sacramento. Look at our Governor
Already called it, just made things worse.
Just wow. So the CA fitness alliance lauds Newsom for “allowing” us to exercise outdoors. All Hail the Great and Miighty Newsom the Merciful.
Thank you, Aunt Barbara. Are they open in defiance of orders? I’ll have to check it out.
Not ok to have daughter over for Christmas. Ok for daughter to go to airport and fly to visit family in Florida for Christmas.
Ok to exercise at gym outside. Not ok to exercise with neighbors outside in our court.
The list goes on and on.
Hi Anon- it was hardly covered by the media, and the reporting was positive: “peaceful”, etc. there’s nothing peaceful about taking children and seniors in a caravan and blaring music, 18 wheeler horns and bright lights…. this is no longer a sanctuary city – Police stood by and did nothing- allowed this mob to ruin the last Christmas Adventure in a diverse city. As I mentioned, no one else must have been in this two hour hell
I’m going to continued walking outdoors with my friend, at least 6 feet apart with masks on. We walk at night in fairly deserted streets. Much safer than a trip to Costco and it is necessary for my mental health and well being. The county health department can cram it on this one.
I wonder if the Health Department will host an XMas party?
Yes there are inconsistencies and hyprocricy with the issued guidelines – I agree that some don’t make sense from a consistency point of view. Can we put aside our ego/pride and summon some mental fortitude to help those in need survive the virus by teamwork? That would mean prioritizing others instead of ourselves temporarily until the vaccine is available.
The alternative is the vast majority on this site can continue to bicker and point out irrelevant points (eg the gov didn’t follow the rules so that justifies me not following them) and there own justifications as to why they must temper tantrum over the libs mandating what the scientists say we need to do to minimize health risks.
And for those who still believe it’s a hoax, overblown and the flu kills so many as well so why bother… is it coincidental, irony or humorous that most of these people claim to maintain blind faith, believe ALL the Bible stories to be true and trust Trump blindly (who has been in charge of the Covid mess btw)… but sure Pelosi, Newsom and the rest of the left have secretly swindled our nation (and the world) into believing this virus hoax is real and they benefit so much from crushing the economy and arguing about giving the American people $1200 every 8 months…
I sure don’t more than the average Joe but will listen to a scientist with no vested interest but studying viruses for decades compared to thinking I know better. So what if the idiots in power don’t follow the rule – does that change science or your willingness to risk yours and other’s health?
Why you’re the head sheep Friedman! Congrats!
Nice regurgitation friedbrain, er Friedman, thanks for nothing. Go ahead and believe your comrades newscum and pelosi, this will serve you well
The weather has been so beautiful so far this year and my wife and I walk five miles daily. We receive our vitamin D from the sun and recharge our immune system.
We lift weights after our walk to stay fit and strong. The Rona will not depress us and we can’t wait for the vaccine.
nobody is obeying this order, gyms are still open indoor. Fitness 19 is open and so are massage places in concord!