The new measures announced by Breed, a first-term Democrat, apply across five Bay Area counties and are among the harshest of any major US city, closing all personal services, outdoor dining and most public gatherings.

"What we are seeing in our city, our region, our state and our country is a virus that is taking over," Breed, 46, said in announcing the new clamp down.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, said on Thursday he would impose similar stay-at-home orders statewide, to take effect region by region as intensive care beds reach capacity.

this Sunday, San Francisco will close all outdoor dining (Indoor dining was already banned), outdoor playgrounds, zoos and aquariums along with other measures, according to a statement on the mayor's website.

The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation now projects nearly 539,000 COVID-19 deaths by April 1, almost double the current death toll, even as vaccines start to become available.

"Even with a vaccine, if states do not act to bring current surges under control, the death toll could reach 770,000 by April 1," the university said in a press statement