Travel

The CDC recommends avoiding using any kind of public transportation, ridesharing, or taxis.

You can only leave your house for essential travel. Driving to a park or beach to get outdoors is non-essential travel and is not allowed under the Public Health Order. If you have a park or trail near your house, you can use it if you can access it in a non-motorized way.

Travel that is not allowed:

• Traveling to 2nd home in Marin
• Traveling for vacation in Marin
• Non-essential travel in and out of County

Guidance on Leaving the Bay Area for Vacation

Traveling runs the risk of spreading the virus to other areas and exposing new populations. Crowded travel settings, like airports, may increase chances of getting COVID-19, if there are other travelers with coronavirus infection. The Order requires that you shelter in your place of residence. If you leave the Bay Area for vacation or another reason that is not an essential purpose exempt under the Order, then you may not be permitted to return to your residence. Depending on your unique circumstances, you may choose to delay or cancel your plans. If you do decide to travel, be sure to take steps to help prevent getting and spreading COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases during travel. For the most up-to-date COVID-19 travel information, visit CDC COVID-19 Travel page.

Yes, but only to perform essential activities or essential government functions, operate an essential business, or perform minimum basic operations at a non-essential business, as those terms are defined in the Order.  You can also leave to go back home or engage in other essential travel.  Otherwise, the answer is no because that puts you and others in the community at risk. Keep in mind that Health Officers in neighboring counties have issued the same or similar shelter-in-place orders. 

Yes, you can use shared bikes and scooters for essential travel, such as commuting to work as an essential employee.  But keep in mind that shared bikes and scooters are not routinely sanitized.  Take precautions, including bringing sanitization wipes, not touching your face while on the bike or scooter, and washing your hands for at least 20 seconds immediately after. 

Yes, but public transit, ride-share services, or any other way of traveling can only be used for Essential Travel, which means: 

1. Travel to provide or access Essential Activities, Essential Governmental Functions, Essential Businesses, or Minimum Basic Operations. 

2. Travel to care for any elderly, minors, dependents, or persons with disabilities. 

3. Travel to or from school to get materials for distance learning, to pick up meals, and to access any related services. 

4. Travel to return home from outside the County. 

5. Travel required by law enforcement or a court order. 

6. Travel required for non-residents to leave the County and go back home.  

7. Travel to manage after-death arrangements and burial.  

8. Travel to arrange for shelter or avoid homelessness.  

9. Travel to avoid domestic violence or child abuse.  

10. Travel for parental custody arrangements.  

11. Travel to a place to temporarily reside in a residence or other facility to avoid potentially exposing others to COVID-19, such as a hotel or other facility provided by a governmental authority for such purposes. 

When you are on public transit, you must follow the Order’s social distancing requirements to the greatest extent feasible, including maintaining a distance of six feet from everyone outside your household or living unit, frequently washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an effective hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding all social interaction outside the household when sick with a fever or cough. 

When you use ride-share services for essential travel, keep in mind that you should avoid as much as possible being in close quarters in a vehicle that has been used by lots of other people.    

The Order allows you to go outside for exercise activities like walking and running, as long as you strictly follow social distancing requirements including maintaining a distance of six feet from everyone outside your household, frequently washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an effective hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding all social interaction outside the household when sick with a fever or cough.

No.  For your safety as well as their safety, you are not allowed to visit friends or family members outside your own household.  We need to help each other fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home.

Yes, you can leave the County for the purpose of returning home.

The CDC recommends that you stay home for 14 days from the time you returned home from international travel to monitor your health and practice social distancing. The Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory external icon, which advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. Visit the CDC to learn more about international travelers returning to the U.S.