San Francisco Shelter-in-Place Order Could Be Extended Next Week

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Screen capture from SFGovTV

San Franciscans could be required to shelter in place well beyond May 3, the expiration date of the city’s current public health order.

In a brief aside during Friday’s Department of Emergency Management press conference, Mayor London Breed said that her administration could make an announcement about extending the order as early as next week.

“The reality is, and people are asking about this,” she said. “Will the public health order get extended? The likelihood that that will happen is very likely. And what that means is, you know, another few weeks or even a month of asking you all to comply and to remain at home and to continue to follow the social distancing orders that we put forth.”

Breed also said the Department of Public Health and a new economic recovery task force would consider ways to reopen at least some businesses, although she didn’t offer details. She said that any reopening would require the city to have the ability to test, track and treat a large enough number of people to prevent or manage outbreaks, or a surge in cases.

The mayor also spoke about the city’s troubles in acquiring enough personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, first responders and others. She thanked City Administrator Naomi Kelly and her staff for acquiring 15 million pieces of protective equipment even as the city had been forced to compete with other cities and states because of a lack of coordination by the federal government.

“We’ve had issues of our orders being relocated by suppliers in China. For example, we had isolation gowns that were on their way to San Francisco, and they were diverted to France. We’ve had situations when things that we’ve ordered that have gone through customs were confiscated by FEMA to be diverted to other locations.” — San Francisco Mayor London Breed

Listen to these and other updates in the full press conference audio below:

  • Breed said the city has launched an economic recovery task force. (10:26)
  • Breed warned people that they must continue social distancing, despite the warmer weather. (10:46)
  • The mayor said a longer shelter-in-place order is likely. (13:14)
  • Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said that of the 1340 confirmed cases in San Francisco, 10% were people who were homeless or living in crowded single room occupancy hotels. (22:13)
  • Dr. Colfax said there had been two asymptomatic cases in the county jail, but there were no active cases, and that testing and other precautions were being taken to protect staff and inmates. (28:59)
  • Abigail Stewart-Kahn, director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said that homeless people who had tested positive for the coronavirus and have recovered would be housed in shelters and navigation centers, including the Division Circle Navigation Center, from which many guests were moved into hotels after testing positive or having been exposed to others who tested positive. (35:50)
  • Police Chief William Scott said the number of people driving at high speed on local freeways had soared. (46:39)

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A segment from our radio show, “KSFP.” Listen to the mayor’s latest press conference at 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday on 102.5 FM in San Francisco.