Coronavirus Update: Port Of Oakland, Oakland Airport To Stay Open During Shelter-In-Place
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- The Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport will continue normal operations despite a Bay Area-wide shelter-in-place order to slow the spread of coronavirus, since both facilities are essential services, port officials said Monday.
Alameda County and five others (Marin, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco) were included in the order in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Marine terminals at the port will continue to load and unload cargo from ships. The airport will continue on its daily schedule of inbound and departing flights, port officials said. As of Monday, the port said it has received no reports of employees, customers or business partners testing positive for COVID-19.
The port also said it would adopt a resilience plan to staff its operations while minimizing possible employee exposure to coronavirus.
Airlines, shipping lines and marine terminal operators have said they will continue operations in Oakland. Port officials are meeting with longshore union officials to determine what staffing levels can be expected on the docks.
ALSO READ:
- Bay Area Residents In 6 Counties Ordered To Stay Home
- Google Launches Coronavirus Test Screening Website In Bay Area
- MLB Pushing Back 2020 Opening Day Until May At Earliest
- San Francisco Coronavirus Cases Increase; City To Provide Workers Paid Sick Leave
- Safeway Hiring Workers, Delivery Drivers Amid Coronavirus Panic Shopping
- Number Of San Jose Firefighters With COVID-19 Rises To 10
COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The Port of Oakland is one of the 10 busiest container seaports in the country, port official said. It handles over two million cargo containers per year, resulting in over $100 billion in global trade.
Oakland International Airport is also the third busiest airport in Northern California, with nearly 14 million passengers a year flying in and out.
"Our operations are critical to the health, safety, infrastructure and economy of our region," said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan in a press release Monday. "We will continue to function as a vital gateway for global trade and transportation while doing everything possible to protect our employees, customers and business partners."
