Solano County issued a "Shelter at Home" order Wednesday evening, becoming the last county to join the rest of the Bay Area in limiting non-essential movement due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The order will be in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 7 and is subject to change. It requires the closure of all establishments serving alcohol, such as bars, wineries, nightclubs and breweries, the closure of gyms, spas, and all other non-essential businesses, and prohibits non-essential events that do not allow room for social distancing.
Grocery stores, take-out restaurants, pharmacies and hospitals are among the businesses that will remain open.
County Public Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas had pushed back against the regionwide shelter-in-place orders Tuesday, saying they were causing panic and simply reiterating statewide directives, but he issued an updated statement along with the order Wednesday.
"We are taking this health crisis seriously and trying to protect our community while still ensuring that the essential parts of our county can function and attempting to lessen the substantial burden placed on workers and businesses," he said. "We trust our community to adhere to these directives, and we stress the importance of working together to get this through this difficult time."
Solano County reported nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no deaths as of Tuesday but corrected the total tally to 8 confirmed cases on Wednesday.
