Watch CBS News

Reopenings: Santa Clara County To Allow For Limited Indoor Dining, Gatherings In Orange Tier

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Santa Clara County officials announced changes Monday to its health orders that could soon pave the way for limited indoor dining and gatherings once the county moves into the Orange Tier of reopening.

According to Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody, the county would follow the most of the state's guidelines on what is allowed to open under the Orange Tier, which could happen as soon as October 14th.

If the new orders take effect, outdoor gatherings of up to 200 people would be allowed, along with indoor gatherings of up to 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

Meanwhile, indoor dining would also be allowed to resume in Santa Clara County for the first time since the pandemic forced closures earlier this year. Indoor dining would also be allowed at up to 25 percent capacity, or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

Officials stressed that even if Santa Clara is allowed to open more businesses, protocols regarding the use of masks and physical distancing remain in effect.

"It is imperative that we all continue to practice the precautions that have made our COVID-19 numbers move in the right direction," Cody said in a statement. "The fact that you are able to do something doesn't mean that you should.  The public's commitment, both businesses and our residents, to wearing face coverings, and maintaining social distancing and testing is what will help us move forward to the next tier in the state's COVID-19 blueprint."

As of Monday, Santa Clara and most other Bay Area counties are in the Red Tier, which keeps some non-essential indoor business operations closed. Sonoma County remains under the Purple Tier, which is the most restrictive.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.