A new wave of businesses will be allowed to reopen their doors in SLO County starting on June 12, including gyms, swimming pools, bars, wineries, movie theaters, museums, and zoos.
SLO County Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein announced the reopenings on June 9 and shared state and local health guidance for each industry. Businesses must review the guidance, conduct a risk assessment, and complete a self-certification at readyslo.org in order to reopen.
“The county is committed to moving forward and reopening our communities,” Borenstein said in a June 9 press release. “I reviewed the state’s guidance documents, and our most current local data prior to approving these industries to reopen.”
Borenstein also withdrew a local order that had restricted all hotel and lodging properties to 50 percent capacity. Her office’s June 9 press release noted that “the state continues to discourage out-of-area tourism.”
As businesses prepare to join restaurants and retail stores in reopening, they’ll have extensive safety guidelines to follow. Gyms, for example, must limit their capacity to adhere to social distancing and frequently disinfect surfaces like exercise equipment. Indoor exercise classes, saunas, and contact activities such as basketball remain prohibited.
Kennedy Club Fitness, which has four locations in SLO County, posted an update to its website on June 9 announcing that its four local gyms plan to reopen on June 15. The gym noted that its hours will be reduced to “allow for deeper cleaning and sanitation.”
The reopenings come as SLO County “continues to see low [COVID-19] numbers,” according to Borenstein. As of June 10, SLO County had 306 total cases, with four active hospitalizations and one fatality. Ninety percent of COVID-19 patients were fully recovered.
While health officials are encouraged by the data, they’ve seen a slight uptick in cases since June 1. SLO County reported 67 percent more cases between June 1 and June 10 than it did between May 20 to May 30. Since June 1, the positive test rate, 1.4 percent, is twice what it was in May.
This article appears in Summer Guide 2020.