Some additional businesses in Santa Clara County were given the green light Tuesday to reopen indoor operations.
Certain activities were also allowed to resume as the county was moved from the Purple Tier (Tier 1) on California's new COVID-19 blueprint to the Red Tier (Tier 2). Counties in the Red Tier are still experiencing "substantial spread" of COVID-19, but they can allow certain businesses to reopen indoor services and allow some activities to resume as long as the proper protocols are strictly followed.
County officials said the following businesses and activities are now allowed to resume:
- Schools: K-12 schools can open after the county has been in the Red Tier for 14 days. All schools must follow mandatory guidance set by the county and the state.
- Personal care services: allowed to open indoors with modifications
- Museums, zoos, aquariums: allowed to open indoors at 25% capacity
- Gyms and fitness centers: allowed to open indoors at 10% capacity
- Shopping malls: allowed to open indoors at 50% capacity (previously open at 25% capacity)
“We are pleased at this sign of progress in the fight against COVID-19, but we remind our residents that all local requirements involving the number of people who can enter a facility, face covering requirements, and social distancing protocols remain in effect,” James R. Williams, County Counsel for Santa Clara County, said in a statement. “It is critical that the businesses and activities that reopen today follow the public health directives so that we can maintain our community’s progress in bringing down COVID-19 transmission.”
Indoor dining, indoor movie theaters and indoor gatherings are still prohibited, the county said.
The county can still slide back to the Purple Tier if coronavirus cases start spiking again.
"Could there be a pulling back? Yes," County COVID-19 Testing Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said. "This is very fluid."
