Santa Clara County Issues New Covid-Related Restrictions

South Bay residents and businesses are under new, more restrictive rules as Santa Clara County hits record single-day Covid-19 positive tests and hospitalizations.

Starting Monday, most businesses that have indoor operations will only be allowed to fill their buildings to 10 percent of the normal capacity, down from the 25 percent limit previously set under earlier health orders.

The only exception will be grocery stores, drug stores and pharmacies, which can continue to operate at a quarter of full capacity.

While people can still gather outdoors, groups are limited to 100 people—including for those protected by the First Amendment, like religious services and protests.

“The number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in our county has doubled in just the past couple of weeks, and we are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity very soon if current trends continue,” Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s top health official said. “During this critical time of surging COVID-19 transmission in our community, I urge every resident to exercise caution and to the greatest extent possible, minimize contact with anyone outside of your immediate household.”

By Saturday, 760 new cases of Covid-19 and 239 hospitalizations—71 in the ICU—had been identified, marking new records for single-day counts since the Bay Area—and specifically the South Bay—emerged as a hotspot for the pandemic in March.

All sports that involve close physical contact with people outside a single home are prohibited while the new restrictions are in place. Outdoor activities where physical distance of at least six feet can be maintained at all times are still allowed. The restrictions apply to professional, high school and collegiate sports.

Card rooms are closed while the new, more restrictive health order is in place. Hotels and other types of lodging are closed for anything except for essential travel or to be used to help people isolate and quarantine.

The new public health order “strongly discourages” non-essential travel, but for those who do travel from more than 150 miles outside the county, a 14-day quarantine will now be required upon their return.

The new requirements will be in effect from Monday until 5am Dec. 21, unless county officials extend the order in advance.

Read more about the new restrictions on the county’s website.

Janice Bitters is managing editor for Metro Silicon Valley. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @janicebitters.

8 Comments

  1. Per the county’s COVID dashboard:

    For the 30 days from 10/19 to 11/19 the death count for residents (not confined to long-term care facilities) was 30, of which (from county data) it can be assumed that all but four had comorbidities and/or were over 60 years of age.

    Fewer than one of ten hospital patients was COVID positive and one in five beds remains empty. Of the beds not empty, less than 9% are occupied by COVID patients.

    At this point in an average year, death statistics predict the county death toll from all causes at about 16,000 (US average of 870/100k). The current COVID death toll here is 476, or 3% of all estimated deaths in the county. The vast majority of deaths attributed to COVID involved residents who were going to die anyway (259 of the 476 deaths were patients in long-term care facilities, where the average life span upon admittance is 6 to 18 months). Subtract the LTCF deaths from the total and you realize that only 217 of the county’s two-million, mask-wearing, locked-down and miserable residents succumbed to COVID (and few of that number lacked comorbidities or were under 60 years of age).

    These statistics do not justify tighter restrictions; the county’s COVID panic is a fraud, part of the state’s fraud, which is part of the fraud being perpetrated by bankrupt blue states counting on using this crisis to justify a federal bailout that will free them of the consequences of decades of costly social-engineering and irresponsible spending.

  2. BEN, Z., go have the mental health evaluation. Make sure your therapist is a licensed psychologist. Report the sexual abuse at the therapist’s. Let the therapist know they have ignored your molestation claims. When you go for that therapist’s visit have the names of the pedophiles on hand, address, phone, date of birth, and the same for the victims. Have details of incidents of what happened. Report to national organizations as well.

  3. BEN, Z., you are right; it is all about draining your bank accounts. Contact these people for free consultation [email protected] They fight tough molestation cases. If they do not win, they do not charge.

  4. Your children are not the only ones. I know you are hurt: consult with the torklaw.com [email protected] these people go after anyone including clergy. Due to current law in California there is no statute of limitation…consult and find out if you have a case. Sane people enter the Santa Clara County Family court and leave close to an EPS situation. This is how detrimental they are to people in this county. They should be accountable for all the harm they cause to the families of this county. We are not the only county with this family system problem.

  5. They have a duty to protect children but they do not do it! The attorney is for the personal injury (psychological, physical, sexual). Do not trust in any judge or Jeff Rosen. A free consultation does not hurt anyone! Out of area attorneys go after these people. Santa Clara County judges and attorneys protect each other. They typically favored the abusers, so the other parent would spend every dime trying to “un wrong” the situation. This strategy secures a prolonged litigation and money for everyone involved. It is a well known business. Unfortunately most people find out when their bank accounts are drained! These attorneys make lots of money. Independently of the outcome, they charge. If you could have an attorney that would not charge you, why not? The least you can get is a free consultation on how to strategize. This in the event they do not take your case. DO NOT TRUST JUDGES. After I hired out of area attorneys, I have won every case, no cost! There is no legal battles between mafia friends, only settlements (they win not families).

  6. > They just want a prolonged case so everyone makes money but the families.

    Questions:

    1. What are the ten longest currently open Family Court Cases? How long have they been open What are the accumulated legal and court costs?

    2. Are there committees of the California Legislature that have “oversight” responsibility for the Family Court System and the authority to draft “reform” legislation? What the hell have THEY been doing?

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