Reopening: State Approves Alameda County COVID-19 Variance; Outdoor Dining Can Resume Immediately
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Alameda County officials announced Wednesday their request for COVID-19 variance by state health officials has been approved, allowing them to immediately allow al fresco dining at restaurants across the county.
The order will also allow the Oakland Zoo to reopen with appropriate safety measures in place.
However, the news was not all positive in regards to COVID-19 restrictions. Alameda health officials said Wednesday was the county's third day on the state's COVID-19 watch list meaning that places of worship can hold outdoor services only and indoor malls will be required to close.
"It is critical we all do our part to save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19," the county said in its news release. "Residents and those who work in Alameda County can help by staying home as much as possible and especially when you're sick, wearing a face-covering whenever you leave home, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from anyone outside of your household and washing or sanitizing your hands frequently."
Alameda County has been the hardest hit in all the San Francisco Bay Area by the COVID-19 outbreak. There were 86 new confirmed cases reported Wednesday, bringing the county's overall total to 8,478 cases. As of July 13, there were 152 residents hospitalized with 52 of those being treated in the ICU.
There have also been 154 deaths.
For several weeks, local residents had been able to enjoy a meal with social distancing and outside seating at local restaurants as Alameda County health officials began rolling back COVID-19 restrictions.
Then on Friday night, county officials were told by the state in the wake of a rise of new COVID-19 cases statewide they needed to shut down outdoor dining and return to just takeout and delivery options for meals bought outside the home.
Alameda had not asked for or received a variance so the county's reopening plan was completely under the jurisdiction of state health officials.
The order was greeted with widespread confusion, anger and fustration. Livermore, Hayward, Dublin and Oakland officials said they would not enforce the shutdown order.
The state's sudden action caught restaurant owners by complete surprise.
"This is really going insane," said Esteban Blancas, general manager of Nonni's Bistro in Pleasanton. "There's no way that we can just, like, shut down and throw away food money!"
Wednesday's announcement also created a great deal of excitement with officials of the cash-strapped Oakland Zoo. The zoo has been closed since March when regional shelter-in-place orders went into effect to limit the spread of the virus.
Once it reopens, the zoo will be limited to outdoor activities. Rides, playgrounds and indoor exhibits would not be open to the public. There will be 2,500 people per day limit and ticketing will be part of the process.
Nick Dehejia, executive vice president of the zoo, noted that parks in the area are crowded and the zoo might alleviate some of that.
It's been costing $1 million a month during the pandemic to manage the zoo and there have been reports it may be on the verge of closing for good if officials were not allowed to reopen the doors soon.
"This is our first critical step for survival," he said.