Shelter in place fatigue: Crowds out across Bay Area, though stay-at-home order remains in effect

ByCornell Barnard KGO logo
Sunday, May 3, 2020
People out across Bay Area though shelter-in-place order remains in effect
It's the seventh weekend of the shelter-in-place order due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. For many in the Bay Area, staying home is getting harder to do but state and local officials say it's still necessary to flatten the curve.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's the seventh weekend of the shelter-in-place order due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In the Bay Area, state and local officials say staying home is still necessary to flatten the curve, but for many, that's becoming harder to do.

RELATED: Bay Area shelter-in-place: County health officers answer 5 confusing questions

Seven weeks at home has been a long time for Roxanna Rojas from Oakland, and she's not alone. Lake Merritt was crowded with folks getting sun and exercise Saturday.

"The lake is one of the few places that we can come because parks are closed," said Rojas.

Last weekend, the lake looked a lot like pre-COVID-19, with not much social distancing happening. This prompted the mayor to send a warning to give the lake a break.

"Lake Merritt is getting too crowded please recreate someplace else," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

REOPENING CALIFORNIA: Huge crowd gathers in Sacramento, SF, SoCal to demand Gov. Newsom lift COVID-19 restriction

Oakland Police officers were on duty to discourage any large gatherings.

Despite that, many say things are changing.

"There's a lot more traffic and people," said Lucky Thompson from Oakland.

Volunteers from the SFPD were handing out masks on the Marina Green in San Francisco.

On Ocean Beach, 'No Parking' signs have deterred many from driving here.

RELATED: Gov. Gavin Newsom says California may be 'days, not weeks' from further reopening

Governor Gavin Newsom came close to issuing an ultimatum Friday, saying the shelter-in place-order is close to being modified, but that depends on the behavior of the public especially beach-goers in Southern California.

"If we have the kind of weekend, I expect we will and don't see huge crowds descend, then we'll be in a position Monday or Tuesday with new strengths and partnerships," said Newsom.

The Marin County Sheriff's Department tweeted the stay-at-home order is still happening and would be enforced.

For the most part, first responders say the Bay Area is doing its part, wearing face coverings and staying home to help to flatten the curve of the deadly pandemic.

"Thank you, thank you to the community, without your support we'd be in a worse spot than we are today," said SFFD Lieutenant Jonathan Baxter.

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