For Immediate Release
May 18, 2020
The amended order also allows manufacturing, logistics, and warehouses supporting retail to reopen subject to social distancing protocols and related requirements.
Read the Official Order.
Santa Clara County, CA — County of Santa Clara Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody announced amendments to the current Shelter in Place Order to allow some businesses to resume operating, with modifications based on significant progress in controlling the spread of COVID-19. In a joint statement issued this morning, Dr. Cody and fellow Bay Area health officers acknowledged “the steadfast commitment of our residents to stay home, practice social distancing, and follow public health guidance,” which has resulted in “sustained progress on several key indicators regarding containment of COVID-19. This has remained true a full incubation period after the reopening of construction, outdoor businesses, and certain outdoor activities on May 4, 2020.” It is because of these efforts by county residents that additional businesses can now open, and other activities can resume.
Under the new order, retailers in the county will be allowed to open for curbside/outdoor pickup, and the supply chain for those retail establishments will also be allowed to reopen. The amended order also allows additional outdoor activities to resume, including car parades, outdoor museums, historical sites, and publicly accessible gardens. These businesses and activities will be allowed to resume operation on Friday, May 22, 2020, with social distancing protocols in place to ensure the safety of workers and customers.
“In collaboration with local and regional partners, we are taking measured steps to enable businesses and activities to reopen safely,” said County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “We will continue to closely monitor each of the indicators, as well as other data, to assess how COVID-19 is circulating in our community. These data about the health and safety of residents will guide us as we gradually reopen more activities without eroding the significant progress we have made to date.”
Today’s announcement builds on the April 29, 2020 amendment to the Order, which allowed construction and outdoor businesses to resume operation with health and safety precautions in place. The new order updates the health and safety protocols that all businesses are required to follow if open.
“We recognize that COVID-19 and the measures taken to prevent its spread have profoundly disrupted the lives of all members of our community,” said Dr. Cody. “We share the sense of urgency, and will reopen activities as soon as they can appropriately resume.”
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