Bay Area coronavirus restrictions: Can I still hike, bike or surf?
County officials across the Bay Area announced new, tighter restrictions Tuesday limiting the activities of residents and businesses, meant to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the region.
Outdoors-y types escaped an explicit shuttering of their hobbies, but health officials asked them to consider whether traveling for recreation was truly essential.
The initial shelter-in-place order specified that exercise is an essential activity, as does this one.
That’s not to say it allows for all outdoor recreation — the order further limits some options by closing down dog parks and playgrounds. Others have already been affected by the closure of parking lots at state parks and beaches. And as with all activities, it continues to make clear the requirement of six feet of social distance at all times.
Stay in your county if possible
This new order specifies that travel into and out of your home county is only allowed for essential activities, and exercise is on that list.
A health spokesperson for Santa Cruz County said while the order allows for that wiggle room, he wouldn’t consider crossing county borders for recreation “essential” in this environment.
San Mateo County’s order specified that people cannot travel more than 5 miles from their homes for the purpose of recreation.
Following that firm order and other counties’ softer suggestions would limit many bikers and hikers to a small number of nearby options for recreation. Surfers who don’t live in a coastal county are out of luck, too.
The intent of the law is to keep people from broadening the number of people they could impact if they are infected. Scientists have reported numerous instances of the virus being spread by people who are asymptomatic.
“There’s real danger when a person from one area visits another area,” San Mateo County Health spokesman Preston Merchant said. “Your need for exercise and walking the dog should really be limited to your immediate surroundings — that’s the intent of the order. And that’s why many parks and beaches have essentially just shut down.”
Keep your ball at home
For those who want to play pickup basketball or any other ball sport, the new restrictions will make that difficult.
As former Stanford professor Ellen Jo Baron told this news organization after the initial restrictions, coronavirus can sit on a tennis ball for a couple hours.
That’s why the new order restricts sports involving shared equipment such as a ball, allowing only for play between members of the same household. So if you want to shoot hoops, a one-on-one tournament among roommates is your only option.
So what can I do?
But even with these new rules, there are still options for you and your housemates to get some activity together, as long as you take care to avoid contact with other people.
You can still hike within your county (or within 5 miles of home in San Mateo County). Maybe take this opportunity to try a new trail nearby that you’ve never hiked before. You can go for a run in your neighborhood and absolutely take your dog for a walk — you and your pup deserve it, especially now that dog parks are closed. Just avoid getting close to others.
Cyclists may have to alter their routes to stay within suggested guidelines, and though those in San Mateo County may have to resort to tighter loops. Surfers who don’t live in San Mateo County still appear to have the option to hit the waves, even if health officials would prefer they didn’t.