Health officials representing 10 counties and the city of Berkeley advised Bay Area residents against traveling for the holidays this year, cautioning that family gatherings could worsen the spread of Covid-19 in the Bay Area and beyond.
Public health officers from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma, and the city of Berkeley signed on to the recommendations. The full list is available here.
Although they are not barring anyone from traveling, the health officers recommend against organizing large gatherings and planning non-necessary travel, including holiday trips. The officers advise that “in-person gatherings be small, short, stable (no more than three households over an extended period), and outdoors.”
If individuals do decide to travel or gather to celebrate the holidays, the health officials recommend that they follow all of the normal health precautions, including maintaining social distance, wearing a mask as necessary, and washing hands regularly.
“Marin residents considering travel should know that Covid-19 rates are high in many regions across the country, and not everyone around you will always be taking the right precautions,” Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Health Officer, said in a prepared statement Monday. “Keep doing the things you’re doing to protect yourself and others, even if the people are around you are not.”
The officials strongly recommend that those who do travel self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return home if activities while traveling put them at a higher risk of catching Covid-19.
