San Mateo County moves to orange tier

Card rooms and gyms will expand capacity to 25% with gyms permitted to open indoor pools. Wineries, breweries and distilleries will also see indoor capacity extended to 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

Following changes to the tier system made on March 11, bars without food services will not be permitted to reopen indoors in the orange tier, indicating a moderate risk of spreading the virus.

Live performances will be permitted to have outdoor audiences at 20% capacity but will have to institute assigned seating while serving only regional showgoers.

College campuses will also be allowed to hold indoor classes and student gatherings at 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer. Capacity requirements for retail and shopping centers will be lifted, though common areas will remain closed and food courts will have to reduce capacity.

"This is a momentous occasion," said David Canepa, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “We have come from a very very cold winter but spring is upon us and let's continue to vaccinate until we get sick of the word.” 

San Mateo County qualified for the tier change by maintaining an adjusted care rate below four new cases per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate below 5% for the whole county for two consecutive weeks.

Counties must also focus on bringing cases among residents in underserved communities down which influences a third Health Equity Index metric. The county’s HEI is below 5.3%, qualifying for the orange tier shift.

Before moving into the next least restrictive tier, the county will have to remain in the orange tier for three consecutive weeks. It will also have to meet the next tiers metric for two consecutive weeks which it has yet to do.