Coronavirus: Alameda County allows ‘social bubbles,’ expands face covering guidance
A new Alameda County health order released Friday further relaxes shelter-in-place restrictions and allows for people to form “social bubbles” of up to 12 individuals in outdoor spaces beginning Monday, June 8.
According to a press release issued by the county, a social bubble is defined as “a group of 12 or fewer people from different households.”
The guidance calls for social bubbles to be maintained for a minimum of three weeks, limits participation to one social bubble at a time and encourages members of a social bubble to comply with social distancing requirements and wear face coverings whenever feasible.
“As we move forward in Stage 2 of the reopening plan, we increase the level of exposure to infection among Alameda County residents,” Dr. Erica Pan, Health Officer for Alameda County, said in the release. “This is still a highly contagious virus and medically fragile residents and our disproportionally impacted communities are still at high risk for this disease.”
Alameda County appears to be the first county in California to suggest social bubbles for residents, although the idea isn’t entirely novel. New Zealand implemented a social bubble concept and has largely contained COVID-19 transmission in the country.
Pan also issued an order Friday expanding the requirements for wearing face coverings within the county. Beginning June 8, face coverings must be worn at all times by all members of the public, including outdoors while engaged in physical activities and within 30 feet of people outside of their household.
Children under 12 are not required to wear face coverings.
“A face covering helps prevent transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19,” Pan said. “Everyone should wear a face covering anytime they are outside the home and around other people. This helps decrease the exposure for all of us and is one of the few tools we have that will allow us to decrease risk as we gradually allow for more activities outside the home.”
Aside from permitting social bubbles, Alameda County’s new health order allows for childcare providers to resume caring for all children, not just children of essential workers. The order gives academic institutions the green light to resume career internship and pathway programs and allows libraries to open up for curbside pickup.
Certain businesses with limited person-to-person contact such as appliance repair and pet grooming services are also allowed to resume operations.
Alameda County has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area, with 3,725 as of Friday. The county has also reported the second-most deaths, 101, of any Bay Area county as it crossed into triple digits with four new deaths Friday.
Santa Clara County, which has a larger population, has nearly 900 fewer cases but 43 more deaths.
The modifications to Alameda County’s stay-at-home order announced Friday come nearly three weeks after curbside retail, manufacturing and warehouse businesses were permitted to reopen.
Source https://bayareane.ws/3dExjmX
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