49ers, Stanford, San Jose State Games in Jeopardy With Contact Sports Temporarily Prohibited in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County, home to the San Francisco 49ers, Stanford and San Jose State, announced on Saturday that contact sports will be temporarily prohibited until at least Dec. 21 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"All recreational activities that involve physical contact or close proximity to persons outside one's household, including all contact sports, will be temporarily prohibited," the county said in a press release. "People can continue to engage in outdoor athletics and recreation where social distancing can be maintained at all times." 

County Counsel James Williams didn't answer which specific teams will be affected, Mercury News' Fiona Kelliher reported, but did confirm that the order includes the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers play at home on Dec. 7 and 13 while Stanford's next home game is scheduled for Dec. 12. San Jose State has home tilts slated for Dec. 5 and 11, and are among contenders in the Mountain West title game race.

What will happen to these games is unknown, but it's expected that they will be relocated if not canceled. For now, there is a three-week pause on all Santa Clara County high school, college and professional games in the county, as well as a 14-day quarantine for those traveling to the county from 150+ miles away. 

As of Saturday afternoon, the county reported 760 new COVID-19 cases and 239 COVID-related hospitalizations (71 of whom are in the ICU)—setting new records for the highest single-day counts since the beginning of the pandemic.