Union Square still has sparkle and shine, but streets bare of shopping crowds

A change of holiday plans for many due to expanded stay-at-home order

San Francisco's Union Square still has the usual sparkle and shine, but streets don't have the usual crowd of shoppers. KTVU's Jana Katsuyama reports how the orders are impacting holiday traffic and getaways.

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Union Square still has the sparkling holiday decorations, with the traditional Christmas tree and menorah for Hanukkah, but the streets don't have the usual crowds of shoppers, as many people follow the stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus that health officers say could overwhelm hospitals.

 "We could have almost 4,500 people in San Francisco in need of a hospital bed," said San Francisco's Health Officer Dr. Grant Colfax, who showed a chart with projections of sharp increases in COVID-19 cases, "Our window is narrowing and closing fast."

The shoppers who were out, said they are changing their holiday plans.

"Stay with my immediate family. Not trying to see anybody new. No strangers. keep things really low key this year," said Alex Osibin of San Francisco who came out with a mask to Union Square to see the lights.

Traffic data from Bay Area bridges shows fewer people on the road, according to John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bay Area Toll Authority.

Goodwin says the number of vehicles crossing the bridges plunged during the first stay at home order last spring.  

"First week of April, traffic around the Bay Area was down roughly 50% across the board," said Goodwin.

Goodwin says Bay Bridge traffic was down about 15% last week, compared to the same time in 2019.

The biggest drop has been on the Dumbarton Bridge.

"On a typical weekday, it might be down 40% below December 2019. San Mateo Bridge might be down 30%," said Goodwin.

The holiday getaway traffic this year also might look different.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento region including Lake Tahoe fell under a three-week stay-at-home order.

"All of our member resorts in California are under the stay-at-home order or will be as of Friday," said Michael Reitzell, president of Ski California, which represents ski areas in California and Nevada.

Under the orders, no hotel stays are allowed for leisure trips. Ski resorts will only be open for outdoor recreation and restaurant service will be limited to take-out.

"The stay-at-home order says somewhere between two to three hours is acceptable for travel. There's obviously lots of people who live within two to three hours of ski areas, so they'll be limiting those most likely to day trips," said Reitzell.

"Seeing family, being out a lot is going to have to change," said Alec Abrams, a shopper in Walnut Creek.

Some people were venturing out to Broadway Plaza shopping center in Walnut Creek. Retailers are allowed to remain open at 20% capacity.

This is the holidays. It's the slowest I've ever seen it. Usually, you can't find parking right now," said one shopper named Raina.

Health officials are asking people to hang on and stay home to get through the holidays. They add if you do leave home, wear a mask and don't mix with people outside of your household.