The San Francisco Bay Area will be directed to "shelter in place" at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday until April 7 in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The order will require residents to remain indoors except for essential travel, like going to get groceries.

The shelter-in-place order is different from a full lockdown, which would prohibit people from leaving their homes without government permission.

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The Bay Area, including San Francisco, will be directed to "shelter in place" until April 7 in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the San Francisco Chronicle first reported on Monday.

The directive, which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, affects six Bay Area counties, including the county and city of San Francisco.

As the Chronicle noted, the affected population totals more than 6.7 million people. They will still be allowed to go shopping for groceries and supplies.

The directive is not a full lockdown, so people will not be prohibited from leaving their homes without government permission. Instead, they're directed to stay inside and avoid contact with others as much as possible for three weeks. Law enforcement is being asked to "ensure compliance" with the order, according to the Chronicle.