San Mateo and Marin counties have moved up in the state’s color-coded reopening tiers, the first in the Bay Area to do so.
Both are able return to indoor dining, indoor museums and movie theaters, as falling case numbers persist. Most Bay Area counties have been in the most restrictive purple tier since last fall.
"This is great news for our small businesses and our entire community," San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa said Tuesday. "This move is a direct result of all of us taking personal responsibility for our actions. If we wear our damn masks, keep our distance and follow common-sense health and safety protocols, we can get back to doing what we all love to do."
Just nine counties statewide are in the red reopening tier.
Along with San Mateo and Marin, Yolo, Shasta and Humboldt counties also moved into the red tier on Tuesday. Two - Alpine and Sierra counties - are listed in the orange tier.
Under the red tier, indoor retail and shopping malls can expand to 50 percent capacity. Indoor museums, zoos, movie theaters, aquariums, restaurants, gyms and fitness centers can reopen with capacity restrictions. However, wineries must continue to operate as outdoor only, while bars and breweries remain closed.
San Mateo County's case rate has fallen to 5.6 percent.
Though San Francisco actually has the COVID-19 numbers to qualify for a move to the red tier, it remained in the purple tier as of Tuesday.
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney said Monday that was likely to happen because the city is not seeing enough improvement in its hardest-hit neighborhoods.
"When we get closer to St. Patrick’s Day, that’s one that we really need to keep an eye on and make sure that there aren’t any bigger parties or events or restaurants that are not following the rules," he told KCBS Radio.
The city on Tuesday announced it was lifting a 10-day quarantine for San Franciscans traveling outside the Bay Area. Health officials said they still strongly advise residents to follow the state's travel advisory, which warns against non-essential travel anywhere outside of the state or 120 miles away from home.
The order was implemented in mid-December amid a surge in new cases.
Related
