Santa Cruz County Supes Approve Application To Reopen Businesses

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved Friday the county's application to reopen more businesses, such as dine-in restaurants and haircuts.

The county announced earlier this week that it believed it met the criteria to apply for a variance with the State of California, which would grant Santa Cruz County permission to allow more services to resume under Stage 2 of the state's four-tier plan to restart public life.

Santa Cruz County would be the first Bay Area county to receive a variance, if approved.

Though schools are also allowed to resume operations in counties that have been granted a Stage 2 variance, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said the county would not yet reopen schools as a precaution.

Dine-in restaurants, barbershops and hair salons must reopen under certain precautions, the county said. Barbershops and salons can't offer services that involve touching the face, such as waxing/threading or eyelash services, but may offer: haircuts; hair color; weaves; extensions; braiding; lock maintenance; wig maintenance; and hair relaxing.

Newel has said that the county could walk back any reopenings if the coronavirus situation changes.

Santa Cruz County will show up on this list if the state approves its application. Forty-eight of the 58 counties in California have already filed for a variance.

Read more: Santa Cruz Co. Looks To Reopen Restaurants, Hair Salons And More

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the number of counties in California.