Marin County is no longer allowing indoor dining for a minimum of three weeks starting Monday out of concern over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The county had announced on Friday that it was added to a state COVID-19 watchlist. The California Department of Public Health created the watchlist of counties, and adding one to the list triggers a state review of the county's open business sectors and containment strategies.
Marin County announced Sunday afternoon that the state had halted indoor dining as of 11:59 p.m. that day. The county said in a news release that the shutdown came after "three consecutive days of statistical unimprovement," but did not elaborate on what metrics were used to make the decision.
Indoor seating in Marin had started being offered a week ago for the first time since March, when regional COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders went into effect.
Restaurants are still allowed to offer outdoor seating and takeout services as long as public health precautions are taken.
