San Luis Obispo County has issued an executive order for all residents to shelter at home due to coronavirus starting 5 p.m. Thursday, March 19.
The emergency order mandates people stay home, with the exception of essential activities. The order will be in effect for at least 30 days, County Emergency Services Director Wade Horton said.
The order allows people to leave for “essential travel, essential activities, essential government activities, and essential business” according to County Council Rita Neal.
Essential activities include taking care of you and your family’s health, obtaining necessary goods and supplies, and outdoor activity, including walking, running, hiking and surfing.
Essential business includes healthcare, grocery stores, gas stations, transportation providers and stores that provide household items.
Non-essential business that must close include gyms, movie theaters, bars, salons/barbers, most retail and manufacturing not related to essential functions. Restaurants are only permitted to be open for take-out or delivery.
The complete list is expected to be released later today.
The order does not prevent Cal Poly students from leaving campus to travel home, President Jeffrey Armstrong said in a campus-wide email.
“However, it does ask students who choose to stay in the area to remain in their residences, whether on or off campus, at all times unless it is absolutely essential that they leave,” Armstrong wrote in the email. “Students who choose to stay on campus or in the area, we ask that you stay here until further notice to help minimize potential spread of the virus.”
The Bay Area and Monterey County, among other counties, have already issued a similar order. There are seven confirmed coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County.
The announcement comes after a seventh case of coronavirus has been confirmed in the county. The patient lives in South County and is in their 40s with underlying health concerns, according to Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein.
Businesses and activities affected by the emergency order
Reasons you may leave your home
- To obtain health care, including for pets
- To obtain necessary goods and supplies
- To maintain outdoor activity (running, hiking, biking)
- To perform work to provide for yourself
- To care for pets and family members in other households
- To engage in health care operations like doctors appointments
- To engage in essential infrastructure activities, like public works projects or public work repairs
- To conduct airport operations
- To conduct water, sewer, gas, electrical, public transit, telecommunications, and waste operations
- First responders may leave their home to respond to emergency calls
- Essential government functions will remain open
Businesses that may remain open
- Nonprofit organizations
- Educational sites to the extent that they provide essential functions
- Healthcare operations
- Essential infrastructure operations
- Grocery stores
- Certified Farmers markets
- Food banks
- Stores that provide household items like cleaning and personal care supplies
- Food cultivation such as farming, livestock, fishing and agriculture
- Businesses that provide food and shelter
- Newspapers, television and radio news
- Gas stations
- Auto repair
- Banks
- Hardware stores
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Exterminators
- Post offices
- Laundromats
- Restaurants for take-out only
- Businesses that supply people with the ability to work from home
- Businesses that ship and deliver
- Airlines, taxis and private transportation
- Home-based care
- Residential care
- Legal and accounting services (if necessary)
Businesses that must close
- Gyms
- Movie theaters
- Amusement centers
- Bars, nightclubs
- Salons, barbers, spas
- Auto sales
- Other retail
- Clothing stores, bookstores
- Private clubs
- Dine-in restaurants