Santa Cruz County Businesses To Start Reopening — Slowly

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County retailers will be allowed to provide customers curbside pick-up services beginining Friday as limited business reopenings commence.

County Health Officer Gail Newel issued a revised updated shelter-in-place order Wednesday as California moves into Stage 2 of the state's four-part reopening plans, the county said in a news release. Under Stage 2, retail businesses and businesses that comprise retail supply chains will be allowed to reopen, though spaces such as offices, shopping malls and dine-in restaurants will remain closed.

Santa Cruz County said businesses such as bookstores, clothing stores, sporting goods stores, florists and other over-the-counter retailers will be allowed to provide curbside pick-up, and manufacturing and supply chain businesses supporting such retail businesses will also be allowed to reopen.

Read more: California To Ease Restrictions This Week, Move To 'Stage 2'

Businesses must respect social distancing measures, such as staying six feet away from others and wearing face coverings.

The county is calling on law enforcement officers to enforce the order. California law states people who violate emergency orders may face a $1,000 fine and/or jail time.

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Newel said the announcement represents progress.

"However, we remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and we will carefully review our disease models for adverse impacts before reopening other sectors of our community and economy,” she said in the news release.

The county said movie theaters, hair and nail salons will remain closed in addition to dine-in restaurants and shopping malls, as the state previously announced.

California is expected to give another update Thursday on businesses that may start to reopen. Business owners should check state guidelines to ensure to ensure they are in compliance, the county said.

Since there is currently no vaccine for the new coronavirus, the county said additional businesses may reopen as officials ramp up capacity for testing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation services in Santa Cruz County.

Under Stage 3 of California's reopening plan, higher-risk workplaces that require person-to-person contact such as gyms, hair salons, religious services, weddings and theaters would reopen. Sports venues could reopen without an audience.

Stage 4 would allow for the reopening of concert venues, sports venues and convention centers. That won't come until California has access to drugs to treat COVID-19, which experts say could take months or longer.

Read Santa Cruz County's order here:

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