Santa Clara Reverses Course, Eases Shelter in Place Orders for Retail

During a live-streamed briefing today, officials in Santa Clara announced the county will join other Bay Area counties in relaxing some restrictions on businesses.

Beginning Friday, retail businesses can open for curbside pickup. The supply chain companies and manufacturers that support those businesses will be allowed to reopen, too. Everyone is required to wear masks and practice physical distancing.

The county is also opening outdoor gardens, museums, and historical sites, and allowing car parades.

The decision to crack open the county marks a reversal for Santa Clara. Just last Tuesday, county health officer Sara Cody told the county Board of Supervisors there were no plans to make these changes.

Speaking today, Cody said the conditions on the ground are unchanged — the public remains largely unexposed to the coronavirus and no vaccine is available to protect them.

But she said the number of new cases in the county is stable, the number of patients requiring hospitalizations for COVID-19 is trending down, and testing capacity has increased.

Cody acknowledged the county is still “less than halfway” to its goal of 4,000 tests per day, but the rate of positive tests is around 1.5%, down from a high of 9% in early April. 

“That is a very significant improvement for us,” she said. “With this progress, we can now safely take another step forward in gradually reopening.”

— Kevin Stark (@Starkkev)