Marin County officials have closed indoor dining in the county, effective 11:59 p.m. July 5, for a minimum of three weeks. The closure comes just a week after restaurants began welcoming guests inside for the first time since March.
The rollback follows the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) adding Marin County to the state’s watchlist of counties that are seeing an increase in COVID-19 activity. Marin County is experiencing elevated disease transmission, increasing hospitalizations and limited hospital capacity, according to the CDPH.
As of July 6, the county had around 2,905 total positive cases of COVID-19 and at least 25 deaths. Those numbers include cases and deaths related to the recent COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison. Cases from the prison comprise nearly half of those in Marin County. The coronavirus case number does not include 165 prison staff who have tested positive for the virus.
Marin County’s COVID-19 numbers have not improved since the county was first placed on the state’s watchlist on July 3, prompting health officials to reinstate the indoor-dining closures.
Outdoor seating and takeout service are still allowed at restaurants as long as public health precautions are taken.