San Luis Obispo County has been given the green light to move into the next COVID-19 tier.
The announcement Tuesday means some indoor operations are now allowed with modifications for places like restaurants, gyms, movie theatres and places of worship.
In order to move into the State’s red tier, which downgrades counties from widespread risk to substantial, San Luis Obispo County had to meet a lower case and positivity rate criteria for two weeks.
While the news is welcome to many, the county warns that a spike in COVID-19 cases could put the county back into the most restrictive tier.
“While we celebrate this small success, we must stay vigilant,” said San Luis Obispo County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. “Our progress depends on each person in SLO County. We need everyone to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”
She adds, “Outdoor operations remain the safest environment to slow the spread of COVID-19 and should be supported whenever feasible… If we see an increase in the spread of COVID-19 here, we will move back to purple and most indoor operations will close again very soon.”
People are still encouraged to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing recommendations, avoid large gatherings, stay home if sick, wash hands often and get tested for COVID-19 to limit the spread of the virus.
For more information on what operations are able to re-open in the red tier, click here.