An order to shelter in place may be implemented for a variety of scenarios, such as a spread of infectious disease or virus, natural disasters like tornadoes, active shooters, or chemical, radiological or other hazards.
March 19: Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. This is in effect throughout the State of California.
Click here to read the Governor’s executive order.
Click here to learn more about the order.
Click here to see the Governor’s address to Californians this evening.
What can I do? What’s open?
Essential services will remain open such as:
- Gas stations
- Pharmacies
- Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
- Banks
- Laundromats/laundry services
Essential state and local government functions will also remain open, including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services.
What’s closed?
- Dine-in restaurants
- Bars and nightclubs
- Entertainment venues
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Public events and gatherings
- Convention Centers
Lockdown or Shelter in Place?
Shelter in Place (formally called soft lockdown): Sheltering in place means taking immediate shelter wherever you are, whether it’s at home, work, school or in transit. The phrase is often heard during a disaster in which chemical or radiological contaminants have been released into the air, but also goes along with other emergencies and natural disasters. A call to shelter in place may come with little notice and require that you act fast, which means that preparing to shelter in place ahead of time can be critical to your safety.
Lockdown (Secure in Place): Lockdown is a sheltering technique used to limit exposure of occupants within a facility to an imminent hazard or threat outside. When “locking down,” building occupants shelter inside a room to prevent access from the outside intruder. A lockdown requires locking doors and windows and barricading or blocking entry to a facility, classroom, or office. The purpose of secure in place is to create a secure physical location where a threat may be physically prevented from entering spaces before and during law enforcement activity.