Residents in San Francisco and five other Bay Area counties have been told to shelter in place for late least three weeks.
The unprecedented order was handed down Monday afternoon and stops just short of being a full lockdown, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The order calls for the sheriff or chief of police to “ensure compliance.”
Essential government services will remain open, such as transit, police, fire, and healthcare services, as well as essential stores like grocery markets, pharmacies, banks, and gas stations. Restaurants will be limited to take-out and delivery only; bars, gyms, and non-essential stores to close.
“This is going to be a defining moment for our city,” Mayor London Breed said. “We all have a responsibility to do our part to protect our neighbors and slow the spread of this virus by staying at home unless it is absolutely essential to go outside.”