SLO County moves forward into Red Tier allowing more indoor business operations

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- San Luis Obispo County has moved forward into the Red Tier in the State's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

The much-anticipated move is effective tomorrow and will allow for more business operations to reopen.

The Red Tier will allow businesses to either open or reopen in limited capacities:

• Retail may increase indoor capacity from 25% to 50%.
• Shopping centers, malls, destination centers and swap meets can increase indoor capacity from 25% to 50% and operate reduced-capacity food courts.
• Personal care services are allowed to open indoors.
• Museums, zoos and aquariums are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25%.
• Places of worship are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Movie theaters are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25% of 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Hotels and lodging are allowed to open fitness centers at 10% maximum capacity.
• Gyms and fitness centers can open indoors at 10% maximum capacity.
• Restaurants can serve guests indoors with maximum capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Schools can reopen in person after two weeks of the county being in the red tier, according to state guidelines.

“This is a positive step in the right direction for our community and I’m happy that we’re able to reopen more parts of our community,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County Health Officer. “But we cannot take this gift for granted. We must remain vigilant as we move forward so that we do not undo this good work.”

San Luis Obispo County had hoped to move into the Red Tier as early as two weeks ago, but those plans were abandoned due to a rise positivity rate.

San Luis Obispo County is eligible to move into the next tier of reopening due to two metrics that currently exceed expectations. The county's test positivity rate and health equity metric are both within the state's "moderate" Orange Tier, allowing for SLO County to move forward despite the higher case rate.

For a complete breakdown of coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County, click here.