San Mateo County Businesses Must Close Indoor Operations Starting Sunday

Hair salons, barber shops cleared to reopen in parts of CA
Photo credit Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Certain business sectors in San Mateo County will be forced to close operations starting Sunday because the county has remained on the state's COVID-19 monitoring list for more than 3 days.

Supervisor Carole Groom said the pandemic is devastating. 

"First of all, it's a terrible disease that we're going through, and secondly it's a terrible economic time, when people who do business person-to-person can't do it because of the contagion rate," Groom said.

San Mateo County said on Twitter that it was informed of the decision by the state Saturday afternoon, following continued conversations about its status on the monitoring list. 

UPDATE: The state has informed San Mateo County that due to being more than 3 days on the COVID monitoring list, specific indoor businesses must cease operations beginning 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. Details: https://t.co/Kd1z6v2Hch

— County of San Mateo (@sanmateoco) August 2, 2020

Gyms and fitness centers, places of worship and cultural ceremonies, offices for non-critical infrastructure sectors, hair and nail salons, barbershops and malls must all close or move operations outside beginning 12:01a.m. Sunday.

Shops that offer tattoos, piercings and electrolysis may not operate outdoors and must close, according to the county.

Groom said officials have been doing what they can to contain the spread of the virus. 

"We have been very aggressive with a public campaign to wash your hands, to wear a mask and to really practice social distancing, and I thought that we were doing okay," Groom told KCBS Radio.

San Mateo was first placed on the list last Wednesday.