Alameda County Reopening: Gyms, Personal Care Services Back In Business Indoors
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) -- Alameda County gave the green light to reopen additional business sectors Friday, including indoor services such as gyms, personal care services, museums and libraries.
The county is in the Red Tier of the state's coronavirus reopening plan, which shows "substantial" risk but also allows for a phased reopening of some indoor businesses.
In Pleasanton Friday morning, people were lined up outside a 24-Hour Fitness gym for the 5 a.m. reopening. The state requires gyms to reopen at 10% capacity and everyone is required to social distance and wear face masks the entire time inside. Staffers were constantly cleaning equipment and gym members are also asked to wipe down equipment after they use it.
"You know honestly we're probably the cleanest place in town, I would have to argue that we are," said Pleasanton 24 Hour Fitness manager Adrian Lopez. "We are cleaning constantly. People are wiping down their own stuff. People are more cautious now with making sure things are clean before they touch it and after they are done using it."
Among the additional reopenings in the county Friday are:
- Libraries (25% capacity)
- Gyms, Fitness Centers, Dance Studios, and Other Exercise Facilities (10% capacity)
- Hotels and short-term lodging rentals
- Personal Care Services (Non-Medical Massages, Skin Care, Waxing Services, Tattoo, Piercings, Non-Medical Electrolysis)
- Outdoor Film, Television, and Music Production
- Museums, Zoos, Galleries, Botanical Gardens (25% capacity)
A complete list of activities that are currently open and not open in Alameda County can be found at covid-19.acgov.org/sip.page.
Starting October 13, Alameda County can begin allowing elementary schools to reopen for in-person learning if they have completed a COVID-19 health and safety reopening plan. The decision on reopening schools rests with each school and school district, and schools are required to post their reopening plans on their website and notify the county.
Last week, Alameda County announced its COVID-19 health equity metric was within the same range as the county's overall test positivity rate. The metric requires counties to ensure testing positivity rates in their most disadvantaged neighborhoods are within the same range as the county's overall test positivity rate, and is necessary for the county to move to the next tier, Orange.
