Police to enforce coronavirus ban on events with more than 1,000 people in Silicon Valley county: report

Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley is enacting a new ban on large public gatherings to an effort to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus.

"Just hours after Santa Clara County reported its first coronavirus-related death, the county has implemented a mandatory ban on all large gatherings in hopes of containing the spread of the deadly virus — the most sweeping preventive measure yet taken in California," The Mercury Newsreported.

The county is home to nearly two million people and includes the cities of San Jose, Palo Alto and Cupertino.

"The ban, which will begin at midnight on Wednesday and span at least three weeks, will apply to any event with more than 1,000 attendees, Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams announced at a press conference Monday evening. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and police departments throughout the county will enforce the ban," the newspaper reported.

Earlier in the day, the county announced that a woman in her 60s had died of the virus.

"Events planned for March at the SAP Center that will be impacted by the ban include three Sharks games, two Barracuda games, five nights of Cirque de Soleil, four performances by motivational speaker Tony Robbins and a Marc Anthony concert," the newspaper noted.