To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
After the state of California lifted the statewide "Regional Stay Home Order" this morning, outdoor meals and personal services can resume with the necessary modifications in San Mateo.
Thus, with certain restrictions lifted, the county returns to Level 1 purple in the state's four-level color-coded system to reduce and tighten restrictions.
"This is encouraging news, but we must warn the public that COVID-19 is still widespread across the country, with nearly 420,000 Americans having died from the virus in less than a year.
This is a great sigh of relief for our struggling small businesses, but we still have a long way to go before life returns to normal. Science and data tell us that wearing our masks stops the spread. So I'll repeat once again, wear your damn mask!"
David J. Canepa, Chair of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
The state lifted the order after projections of the Bay Area's four-week intensive care unit (ICU) capacity are above 15 percent, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order, the county said in a statement.
Thus, the order of limited home stay, which limits non-essential activities between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., expires when the order of regional home stay ends.
In that regard, San Mateo County specified that it follows all applicable restrictions and guidelines of COVID-19 of California and is fully aligned with the State Plan for a Safer Economy .
Therefore, as of today, open-air restaurants can reopen as long as they respect the modifications - takeaway and open delivery with modifications -, while open-air meetings are now permitted, as long as no more than three households meet.
Similarly, they will be able to open the places of worship outdoors only with modifications, cinemas, gyms and fitness centers, museums, zoos and outdoor aquariums.
In the case of Hairdressers, Barbershops and Personal Care Services, these may be opened provided they comply with the appropriate modifications for Level 1 Purple.
All retailers - except independent grocery stores - and shopping centres, will be able to open with a maximum capacity of 25 percent.
However, common areas as well as food courts will remain closed, and offices for non-essential workers will remain remote.
Playgrounds and recreational facilities are also reopened, provided they are outdoors and with certain modifications.
While there are positive signs that the virus is spreading at a slower rate across the state, the VID-19 pandemic is far from over, so it remains critical that Californians continue to wear masks outside the home, maintaining a distance of at least two meters from other people.
Also wash your hands frequently and avoid meetings and mixing with other households.
As of Sunday, January 24, 2021, the San Mateo County Health Department reported 34,294 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 340 deaths.
