After more than seven weeks of closures, businesses throughout San Diego County are allowed to resume outdoor services, following revised state guidance for COVID-19. | Stock Photo
After more than seven weeks of closures, businesses throughout San Diego County are allowed to resume outdoor services, following revised state guidance for COVID-19. | Stock Photo
After more than seven weeks of closures, businesses throughout San Diego County are allowed to resume outdoor services, following revised state guidance for COVID-19.
The change comes as a result of intensive care unit (ICU) bed availabilities- open ICU beds throughout southern CA is projected to surpass 15%. This 15% capacity threshold is what first initiated the Stay Home order, and rising above that level allowed for the mandates to be reviewed.
The new mandates mark the end of Stay Home order for the region, enabling various businesses to resume outdoor and indoor services, depending on their situations. Restaurants, theaters, and museums can continue outdoor services, while other businesses such as hair salons, tattoo parlors, and nail salons can open indoors. Hotels and similar lodging businesses are also able to reopen their services.
Though this is an improvement, the County’s “Purple Tier” designation is the strictest level. Currently the case rate per 100,000 residents is approximately 49.6. To move into the next less restrictive tier, the regional case rate would need to drop to 7.0 people per 100,000. The state-wide case rates are in a similar standing, with 54 of the 58 CA counties falling in the Purple Tier.
County public health officer Wilma J. Wooten, M.D. said “We urged San Diegans to stay at home and most heeded our message. Their actions have helped to slow the spread of COVID-19, kept hospitals and health care workers from being completely overwhelmed, and most importantly, saved lives.”
Household gatherings are now permitted, but there is still a limit of three households for interacting, and gatherings must be held outdoors. The nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is also still in effect. Counties can still reinstate stricter mandates if cases rise once again. Wooten said “The pandemic is not over; people should continue taking the recommended precautions.”
Information regarding the County’s coronavirus data is updated daily on the County website, and Tier changes and updates are made on a weekly basis.
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