Our collective unwanted pandemic “house guest” continues to spur government’s unprecedented measures toward the virus’s permanent eviction.

Beginning November 21 and to December 21, the California Department of Public Health imposed a statewide 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew with certain exceptions for essential services, medical emergencies, etc.

Starting tomorrow, Saturday, December 5, and through December 26, a further Regional Stay Home Order will be in place. Any of five regions in California will be subject to the order’s strict standards if and when that region’s total available adult ICU bed capacity falls to less than 15%.  The regions are:

• Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity
• Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma
• Greater Sacramento: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba
• San Joaquin Valley: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne
• Southern California: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Once triggered, the regional order substantially limits public and commercial activity, for example including cut-backs of indoor retail and shopping center operation to 20% capacity; hotels and lodging open for critical infrastructure support only; restaurant take-out or delivery only; remote office work only except for critical infrastructure; and worship and political expression outdoors only.

We count 22 counties and one city which have rescinded their previous local orders and now  follow statewide guidances:

• Colusa
• Calaveras
• Culver City
• El Dorado
• Fresno
• Inyo
• Kern
• Kings
• Lake
• Mono
• Nevada
• Placer
• Riverside
• San Benito
• San Bernardino
• San Luis Obispo
• Santa Cruz
• Solano
• Stanislaus
• Tehama
• Tulare and
• Yolo

As of today, December 4, 2020, we list these counties and cities as continuing with “safer at home” or “shelter in place” ordinances supplemental to and stricter than Sacramento’s statewide directives:

Thanks again to our legal assistant Daniska Coronado for these continuing updates. Please use the above links and other online resources for further developments. Requirements of varying strictness continue to change frequently, municipality-by-municipality.

See also,

• New Year’s Resolutions: Start Now - Secure Employee Handbook, Forms & Policies With 2021 Updates (October 2, 2020)
• Fourth and Long - California’s Employer Playbook For a Safe Reopening (July 31, 2020)
• Cabin Fever in a Pandemic - California’s Updated Coronavirus Response (July 11, 2020)

For further information, please or contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

Timothy Bowles
Daniska Coronado

December 4, 2020