SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KPIX 5) – Travelers visiting San Francisco and residents returning to the city on Friday were faced with strict new guidelines for the mandatory quarantine order that just went into effect.
KPIX 5 spoke to a number of travelers who discovered the new rules just after they landed.
The timing of the new 10-day traveler quarantine order is no coincidence. Christmas is in a week and health officials know that people will enter the city, even though they have been told to stay at home.
The only reports of the San Francisco International Airport quarantine came in the form of PA announcements played approximately once every 30 minutes and digital signs displayed at the baggage claim.
The announcement has a specific audience in mind.
“People who live in the Bay Area and are thinking about traveling out of the Bay Area are probably aware of the health restrictions, the requirements. This really was more aimed at people who may have come to the Bay Area from outside California to educate and educate them, ”said SFO spokesman Doug Yakel.
The quarantine went into effect Friday at midnight and will last until January 4.
Irith and Aharon Danzinger arrived from Jerusalem Friday morning and had not heard of the restrictions until they landed at SFO.
When asked if she believed in quarantine, Irith Danzinger replied, “Yes, I do. I’m not too fond of it, but I believe in it. I know it’s bad for the economy, it’s bad for a general attitude, but it’s good to be healthier. “
The San Francisco County quarantine order follows the order issued in Santa Clara County before Thanksgiving, but is more restrictive. It applies to anyone who has spent any time outside of the 10 Bay Area counties, including nearby Santa Cruz County.
Residents are required to go into quarantine for 10 days upon return to San Francisco and are unable to leave the home, except for medical reasons.
Exceptions include medical personnel, first responders, essential infrastructure works or people traveling for medical care, government official business, or traveling on court orders.
‘I know this is difficult. And I know this is another sacrifice almost 10 months after this pandemic, but we are at a stage that was unfathomable just a year ago, ”said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco Director of Health, on Thursday speaking about the quarantine. to order.
Additional details on mandatory travel quarantine are available on the city’s COVID-19 website.
If caught violating the warrant, individuals could be charged with a crime and face a fine or imprisonment. However, San Francisco city officials did not provide details on enforcement, so the focus is on education for now.
Nikki Adgani told KPIX 5 that she will stay in a cottage on her parents’ property until enough time has passed and she can get tested.
“We’ve all done the shopping so we don’t have to go anywhere, so hopefully it’s a safe situation,” Adgani said.
KT and Branch Johnson-Rotes are heading to Connecticut for Christmas and already have a safety net for their return to the Bay Area.
Instacart, probably. I go to high school and most of my classmates are in the same building, so we had a mutual help chat for everyone who has to stay home. We’ve been very well quarantined and helped each other and delivered groceries to the apartment door, so every contact is as absolutely minimal as possible, ”said KT.
San Francisco resident Paymon Ghafouri told KPIX 5 that he was flying to Texas and would be back home in a week.
“As soon as I get home, I have to go to work. My other question would be, who keeps track of those 10 days? Ghafouri said.
When asked if he would be quarantined when he returned, Ghafouri replied, “Honestly, I have to say no, I’m not going to.”
Andria Borba contributed to this story.