San Mateo County Loosens Restrictions Under New Health Order

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — Residents countywide will be able to return to some normalcy beginning Monday after county health officials announced on Friday that restrictions that have been in place during the coronavirus pandemic will begin to be lifted under a new health order.

According to the updated shelter in place order, churches will be permitted to meet, businesses can allow in-store and beaches will be opened as long as social distancing guidelines are met. The move comes, of course, with guidelines in place that limits occupancy as the region moves more in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s guidance for reopening.

“These modifications seek to increase the immunity of the population slowly and methodically, while minimizing death,” County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow said in a statement. “We are trying to keep equity in mind and minimizing economic damage, while not overloading the health care system.”

As part of the plan, churches will be able to congregate by using 25 percent of the building’s capacity or 100 people (whichever is lower) and churches must mark six-foot increments of space between people while designating aisles as being one-way. Stores will only be able to allow in as many people to allow social distancing guidelines to be followed.

In addition, the order allows for beaches to operate normally while maintaining proper social distancing guidelines. While the stay at order will change, the order also indicates that anyone who can work from home should continue to do so.

The new county health order issued on a day when state health officials announced two new coronavirus-related deaths, which takes San Mateo’s county death toll to 84, which is the third-highest in the Bay Area behind Alameda and Santa Clara County. The county now also has a total of 2,061 confirmed cases.