Fremont still using boulders to keep homeless away from Kato Road.
Indoor dining and gatherings such as church services would be allowed when region progresses to new tier
Santa Clara County restaurants and places of worship could reopen indoor services this month for the first time since the start of the coronavirus shutdown, under a revised health order county officials announced Monday.
The changes in the health order would take place the day after the county moves into the orange tier of the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system. Santa Clara County County Counsel James Williams on Monday said he expects that to happen as early as Oct. 14.
While the revised “risk reduction order” — which replaced the shelter in place order in July — follows state guidelines for counties entering the orange tier, there are two exceptions. Indoor gatherings, including in restaurants and churches, would be limited to fewer than 100 people or 25% capacity, similar to limitations put in place in San Francisco, the first Bay Area city to enter the orange tier. But outdoor gatherings of up to 200 people would be allowed, if the new order takes effect.
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the county wanted to simplify its framework for reopening and align it with the state’s guidelines, but warned the county
could slip back to the more restrictive red tier if businesses and their customers do not continue to wear masks and socially distance.
When restrictions were first eased, the average of daily cases increased six-fold, from 45 cases on June 15 to 269 cases a day on July 17. Santa Clara County has since cut its case rates but is still “more than twice where we were in mid-June,” Cody said.
“We can get into trouble very fast, but it takes a very long time to get ourselves out of trouble so we must continue to be cautious,” Cody said Monday.
Williams said social distancing rules and wearing masks still apply and all businesses that reopen indoors need to submit a revised safety plan 14 days after the new order takes effect.
Supervisor Dave Cortese said restaurants owners and faith leaders have had to sacrifice and struggle during the shutdown. Despite a Santa Clara Baptist church which defied the county health order and racked up fines, Cortese said the majority of businesses have abided by the rules and have asked for the opportunity to show they can operate their businesses in a safe manner.
“Today is a big leap forward,” Cortese said. “But it is going to require that you make this work. Every restaurant worker … every person sitting down to the last pew is going to have to make this work.”
Santa Clara currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases of any Bay Area county. On Sunday, 106 new cases were reported, pushing Santa Clara to 21,840 cases, or 132 cases more than Alameda County.