San Mateo County's health officer issued a legal order Thursday banning mass gatherings of 250 or more people because of the spreading coronavirus.
The legal order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday and will remain in effect until April 3 unless it is rescinded, superseded or the health officer or state health officer amends it.
San Mateo County Health Officer Scott Morrow said, "San Mateo County is following the guidance from Gov. Gavin Newsom and is in line with our neighboring counties.
"Limiting mass gatherings," he said, "is critical in slowing the spread of the disease and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community."
Overall though, Morrow recommends canceling all non-essential gatherings and staying at least six feet away from others. The cases of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, numbers 20 in the county.
Newsom said on Thursday that according to state public health officials all non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, and people at greater risk of catching the virus should gather in groups of no more than 10 while following social distancing guidelines.
