Fear of spreading the potentially deadly COVID-19 contagion (colloquially called the “coronavirus”) is already hurting San Francisco businesses and social gatherings, and this week San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston said he will move to protect renters from potential fallout of the virus scare with a plan to halt related evictions.
Preston will introduce legislation Tuesday to prevent eviction of “tenants who cannot pay rent if they lose income as a result of their compliance with recommendations of the Department of Public Health.”
Preston pledges that “no landlord shall evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent if inability to pay rent is due to coronavirus or following government-recommended coronavirus precautions.”
His office hasn’t released details of how exactly the law will work.
The move comes amid concerns that people may continue to show up to work even while sick—according to a 2019 survey of 2,800 people by Menlo Park-based firm Robert Half, as many as 90 percent of Americans say they sometimes go to work while ill, with roughly one third saying they always work sick.
This coming Tuesday I will be introducing legislation to stop evictions based on loss of income associated with the coronavirus. With San Franciscans being urged to avoid certain gatherings and workplace situations, with residents who are feeling sick being urged to stay home,...
— Dean Preston (@DeanPreston) March 7, 2020
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo made a similar pledge Thursday, saying in a public statement that he’s pushing for a moratorium on evictions related to coronavirus mitigation.
“We must avoid the creation of a greater public health emergency that would result from subjecting thousands more families to homelessness,” Liccardo said.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) said San Francisco has eight confirmed cases of the virus as of Saturday. Santa Clara County has over three dozen. A cruise ship with 21 additional cases is expected to dock in Oakland Monday. (Passengers will be quarantined.)
SFDPH advises among other things that people cancel “non-essential events” and “nonessential employee travel” for at least two weeks, and that those over the age of 60 or who suffer from conditions like heart disease, lung disease, or autoimmune problems limit leaving home at all. Above all, anyone who is feeling sick should stay home.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the term “coronavirus” refers to a family of diseases, some as harmless as a common cold, others dangerous enough to cause fatal complications even for otherwise healthy people.
The newly discovered (“novel”) COVID-19 is rarely fatal or debilitating for most people under the age of 60 without other significant health problems, meaning that some contagious people may go about their day without considering themselves ill, and potentially pose a threat to others.
The Center For Disease Control says common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Anyone who develops symptoms and has recently been in contact with an infected person or been to a place with an ongoing outbreak should seek medical advice.
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