Health

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel has issued a shelter-in-place in Santa Cruz County.

The county announced the move Monday afternoon, hours after several Bay Area counties announced similar measures.

The shelter-in-place goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and will continue until 11:59 p.m. on April 7. During that time, public activities will be limited to essential services.

"These extraordinary measures are necessary to meet the challenge in front of us," said County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios. "We will come together as a community. I urge everyone to follow these measures closely.

Essential services and activities include law and safety operations, essential government services, health care operations, pharmacies, child care facilities, food production, groceries, telecommunications, restaurants at reduced capacity, shelter, agencies serving economically disadvantaged populations, gas stations, banks, laundry businesses and safety and sanitation businesses.

The county said it is developing contingency plans to help low-income and other vulnerable populations. There are currently nine confirmed coronavirus cases in Santa Cruz County.

Restaurants will still be able to operate as long as people are eating the food in their homes.

The county is asking residents not to leave their homes unless it's for essential reasons. That means only for things necessary to people's health and safety.

“Health services will remain open, grocery stores will remain open pharmacies will remain open,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said.

Gas stations, banks, and hardware stores will also be open. But if you're out gathering in big crowds to celebrate the holiday, you could be cited.

“The 1918 flu epidemic hit a peak after the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City," Newel said. "Something we want to prevent happening with COVID-19.”

County officials said that, without these measures, the number of cases could double every day. People's routines will change in Santa Cruz for at least the next three weeks.

Essential businesses are expected to use social distancing, which means people need to stay 6 feet apart.

The homeless population in Santa Cruz County is exempt from this order.