Bay Area and Central Coast counties ask residents to stay home over holiday weekend

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Bay Area and Central Coast health officials are asking residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19 over the Fourth of July weekend.

According to a statement released by San Benito County, health officers from Santa Cruz, San Benito, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Solano Counties and the City of Berkeley say staying home is a healthy choice as the number of confirmed cases continue to rise.

“Holidays are a traditional time for families and friends to come together and celebrate," said Dr. David Ghilarducci, the San Benito County Health Officer. “But the more we gather outside of our own households the more COVID-19 spreads in the community leading to higher risk of serious illness in our families.”

Health officials are recommending that residents continue to stay home whenever possible, practice physical distancing around people who are not members of the same household, wear face coverings outside the home, avoid gatherings, wash hands often and stay home if they feel sick.