San Mateo County businesses cautiously optimistic for loosened COVID restrictions

Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the order as COVID-19 statistics appeared to shift in a positive direction. The Bay Area’s four-week ICU capacity projections rose above 15%, the threshold needed to have the restrictions lifted including a curfew for all nonessential activities between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

For weeks, hospitalizations in San Mateo County have neared the 200 mark, falling to 157 on Jan. 24, while ICU bed capacity was limited. Currently, seven ICU beds are staffed and available, up from the two to four beds reported over the last week .

Aiming to arm residents against the virus, San Mateo County Health has partnered with Dignity Health’s Sequoia Hospital to vaccinate in-home service workers and Dignity Health patients ages 65 and older.

The three-day mass vaccination program at the San Mateo County Event Center seeks to vaccinate just under 5,000 individuals with the Pfizer Inc. vaccine. Proving successful, Dr. Dieter Bruno, Sequoia’s chief medical officer, said the site could be replicated by other organizations as more doses are made available.

Many have looked at vaccines as a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel which could eventually allow for a return to some normalcy. But officials have cautioned residents to remain vigilant with practicing safety protocol as business restrictions begin being lifted.

“[Lifted restrictions] is a huge sigh of relief for our struggling small businesses, but we’ve got a ways to go still before life returns to normal,” said Canepa.

Now the county will return to the most restrictive tier in the state’s reopening framework, allowing personal care operations and salons to reopen indoors while restaurants, museums, zoos and places of worship can operate outdoors.

Business leaders weigh in

Rosanne Foust, the president and CEO of San Mateo County Economic Development Association, praised the reopenings. She encouraged residents to support local businesses by eating out, scheduling personal care appointments, buying gift cards or shouting out a business online.

“The governor lifting the stay at home gives our small businesses hope. It has been devastating and they are all trying to survive,” said Foust. “Any measure of kindness helps.”

Similarly, Amy Buckmaster, the president and CEO of Chamber San Mateo County, said the organization was thrilled to learn the restrictions would be lifted. Representing more than 1,400 businesses and organizations across Redwood City and San Carlos, she affirmed the agency’s commitment to helping businesses survive.

“We are thrilled to see California lifting the state order and hospitals with increased capacity,” said Buckmaster. “Our members can’t wait to go back to work and we’ll do everything we can to support them and create a brighter future.”

Less optimistic, Cheryl Angeles, the president and CEO of San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce, said lifting the restrictions to save businesses “might be a little too late.” Small businesses have struggled to open and close as orders change, now having to rehire laid off employees, restock supplies and remind the community they exist.

“Many business people are throwing in the towel and many businesses have exhausted their financial resources,” said Angeles in an email. “I believe a second crisis has started … shutting down businesses and killing our economy!”

Still too early to fully understand the economic devastation brought on by the closures, Foust said data gathered over the next four to six weeks could better reveal which businesses have survived.

Beforehand, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will consider establishing and allocating $1 million of grant support to a Restaurant, Brewery and Winery Relief Program during its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26. Separately, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative gave a $1 million donation to be allocated through the San Mateo Credit Union Community Fund specifically for the newly established program.

Cautiously optimistic

Business owners, and organizations, pleased with restrictions being lifted, are now planning to open with modifications. Patricia Jenkins, the marketing director of CuriOdyssey, said the facility is planning to open outdoor exhibits to the public in two weeks.

Joni Restivo, the owner of Joni Restivo Hair Designs in San Mateo, and Manuel Martinez, a Redwood City and Palo Alto restaurateur both said they would need a few days of preparation before opening.

Before the shelter order took effect on Thursday, Dec. 17, Restivo’s clientele was down by half and during the lockdown she the entire industry was banned from seeing clients. Monday’s news meant she could start calling her customers again and scheduling appointments.

“I’m heavenly overjoyed,” said Restivo. “It’s been hell not having an income of course, trying to make ends meet, praying for this day to come.”

Despite the hardship, Restivo said she never thought about closing. Hair appointments are like therapy sessions, she said, and people often come to her to vent while she styles them. Now able to see clients again, she emphasized the importance of following health guidelines.

“We care about each other. That’s the bottom line,” said Restivo. “It’s to save each other from getting sick. It’s to care. We’re all in this together.”

Martinez, the owner of three restaurants — LV Mar and La Viga in Redwood City and Palo Alto’s San Agus — said he has mixed emotions around the change in restrictions. Restrictions were lifted without warning, preventing the chef and his team from preparing to open immediately.

His businesses have been hard hit by the loss of outdoor dining. About 90% of employees at LV Mar were terminated in December and while most of the staff at the other two locations remained employed, they were only offered one four-hour shift per week.

“We’re unprepared. We need to start to prepare again and I don't know anyone who’s ready to immediately reopen. It’s a big step,” said Martinez.

Beyond COVID guidelines, cold and rainy weather conditions will be a challenge for food establishments eager to expand operations. When winter first hit, he said customers still supported his establishments but that support disappeared when the most recently lockdown went into place.

Still, Martinez is happy with permission to serve customers outside after investing thousands of dollars into heaters and umbrellas. But ensuring public safety is also vital, he said. Echoing sentiments shared by county health officials, Martinez noted gatherings, not outdoor dining, has largely driven the most recent spread.

And COVID-19 infections have become personal for the chef, who lost his 69-year-old mother to the respiratory disease this January. His hope is that officials will enforce health orders that allow complying businesses to operate safely while preventing another closure.

“We’re in another pandemic, the business pandemic,” said Martinez. “I feel like we’re in the ICU on oxygen but when the oxygen ends, what else can we breathe? Businesses are dying too, dying big time.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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