'A Necessary Sacrifice': SF Mayor Explains Shelter-in-Place Order

Several Bay Area counties announced a new shelter-in-place order on Monday morning that requires people to stay at home and leave only for essential activities over the next three weeks in order to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In a joint release, six counties — San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo, as well as the City of Berkeley — said that the decision was made "with input from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and best practices from other health officials around the world."

San Francisco Mayor London Breed spoke to KQED's Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos to explain the reasoning behind this unprecedented order.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did this decision come about? 

Part of every directive that I've issued has come from information provided to me from public health experts. So, the conversations they have had generated the response that you're seeing today — and that is to shelter in place. And to make sure that people, of course, have access to the essential things that they need, like food and gas and other things. But, more importantly, we want to keep people away from one another to prevent the spread.

Was there a tipping point that caused this unprecedented order?

It's not necessarily about a tipping point. We're looking at the data, we're looking at the number of cases, we're looking at the number of test kits we have, we're looking at the protective gear. And our biggest concern — and I think the concern of our health care expert[s] — is that the system could be overwhelmed. And the lack of resources and support that we're getting at this time from the federal administration through the CDC has been very challenging.

I think that people are not understanding the fact that there are ... numerous people — who we are not able to test because [of] our limitations around our tests — that are walking around with this virus, that are asymptomatic, and that may be spreading it. And this is why this order is important.

How do you want people to think about what they feel they need to do is, in fact, essential?

Well, I think it's important that people just be considerate and use common sense. Because, for example, if you need food and you need to also help take care of a neighbor or pick up medications for a neighbor, or what have you, then yes, that makes sense. But just be mindful that whether ... you could be potentially walking around with this virus and your interactions with other people can have an impact on public health.

There are various options that you have. You can go outside, you can walk your dog, you can do various things out in the public that don't necessarily compromise public health. But it's really about being considerate.

Ultimately, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves, we take care of our families, we take care of our neighbors, and it requires a sacrifice and thinking differently about how we engage with the public.

Who are considered necessary workers?

The people who are in our Department of Public Health, our police officers, our firefighters, our MTA and other systems that are essential functions. [But] it will be not only necessary for the people who are on the frontlines, there's also the folks who are processing all the paperwork and the data and the information that could potentially be necessary.

Ultimately, we want to be clear, we don't want anyone to come to work if they're sick or they need to care for a sick parent or a child, or they have child care challenges.

How will San Francisco county go about enforcing this? 

This is one of the last things that anyone as a mayor ever wants to do to the public. This is definitely extreme, which demonstrates the severity of the issue that we're facing.

We are hopeful that people will understand that and comply. But we also need to, number one, educate people and make sure that for those people who aren't watching the news, or who may not have access to social media ... that we are considerate. And that, if we see a situation where they are not in compliance, we're able to communicate to them what they need to do so that they can be in compliance.

We are not here to assume that everyone knows what to do. We're here to help educate the public on, you know, what is going on and how they can comply and how we can all be safe. And that definitely takes time.

We also have the ability, if necessary, to legally enforce this, but our goal is not to do that. Our goal is to try and band together as a community to keep one another safe.

How are you thinking about maintaining the resolve of the public to stick with [the order] over time? 

It's definitely going to be difficult and it does require a sacrifice. And I think that it's important for people to, of course, support one another, look out for one another.

But, just imagine if you ... have children and you leave your children with your mom. And your mom all of a sudden has the virus as a result of transmission. And the harm that you can cause to an elderly parent or any an elderly neighbor or what have you.

I think people have to remember, as much as it doesn't seem that this is maybe connected to you, this is connected to all of us. And it could have a life-or-death impact on people that you care about.

And what that means is, unfortunately, as much as we are not comfortable with sitting still for a minute, and staying in the house, and doing the kinds of things that are probably going to drive us all crazy, it's necessary for public health. And we are just going to have to sacrifice this time in order to make sure that we protect everyone in this city.