On Friday, December 4, Bay Area Health Officers announced implementation of the State’s New Regional Stay Home Order in order to slow the surge of COVID-19 and prevent local hospitals from being overwhelmed. In Marin County, this new order will take effect at noon Tuesday, December 8, 2020 and will remain in place until January 4, 2021.

The order instructs Bay Area residents to stay home as much as possible and limit contact with other households, which can lead to the spread of COVID-19. All sectors other than retail and essential operations must be closed. Access to (and travel for) critical services and outdoor activities to preserve physical and mental health are allowed. More information about this order is available at marinhhs.org/coronavirus.

“Although this is not the outcome we were hoping for, I am confident that we can continue to do our part by staying home and only going out for essential services or recreational activities as allowed under this new Order. We will continue to provide essential City services to our community, however there may be some delay due to remote operations,” said City Manager Adam McGill. “During this time, please continue to support each other, as well as our local businesses. As I have said in the past, we are all in this together and are counting on every member of the Novato community to help slow the spread of COVID-19.”

How Does this Impact City of Novato Services?

Effective Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the City of Novato will close all public-facing sites and cancel all in-person events and programs (with the exception of Pre-K and Tiny Tots which will continue through 12/17 as permitted by county and state orders) through January 4, 2021 per Marin County’s Stay Home Order.

During this time, City staff will be working to ensure essential services remain available. If you have urgent City business that cannot wait, please call 415.899.8900. Many services are available on our website at novato.org.

Additionally, our first responders will continue to be on the job, prioritizing the health and safety of the community. For your convenience, police reporting services are available at novatopolice.org or by phone through our 24/7 non-emergency line at (415) 897-1122. In the event of an emergency, dial 9-1-1 for assistance.

All public meetings will continue to be held virtually during this time. Meeting details, including how to join and participate, are available at novato.org/calendar.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Stay Informed

Visit the City of Novato COVID-19 webpage at novato.org/coronavirus to sign up for email or text message updates from the City, as well as for information on impacts to City services, City facility closures and cancelled and postponed events, what to do if you are feeling sick, and tips on how to reduce your risk of exposure.

Novato businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19, visit novato.org/COVID19biz for a listing of resources including information regarding unemployment, disability and paid family leave benefits; small business loans and grants; tax assistance; non-profit support; as well as information on workplace health and safety.

For up-to-date information on what other local agencies are doing in response to COVID-19, please visit the following websites:

Marin Health and Human Services: marinhhs.org/coronavirus
Novato Unified School District: nusd.org/covid
North Marin Water District: nmwd.com
Novato Sanitary District: novatosan.com
Marin Transit: marintransit.org
Golden Gate Transit: goldengate.org/district/news-media
SMART: sonomamarintrain.org