Dining in? Santa Clara County reopening announcement confirmed

March 2, 2021March 4, 2021

Dining in? Santa Clara County reopening announcement confirmed

Dr. Sara Cody, center, along with County Counsel James Williams, are pictured in this file photo.

Santa Clara County will move into the state’s less restrictive red tier Wednesday as cases of COVID-19 continue to drop in the region.

The announcement came Tuesday afternoon from Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s health officer, and County Counsel James Williams.

Under the red tier, indoor dining and religious services can reopen at 25% capacity, and retail and grocery stores could accommodate 50% capacity. Gyms will be allowed to open at 10% capacity. California’s tiered reopening system adjusts the activities allowed to resume as COVID-19 cases fluctuate. The county’s mandatory travel quarantine will also be lifted.

“We are coming out of a devastating winter surge that claimed the lives of too many county residents,” Cody said. “But we now find ourselves on firmer footing.”

County health leaders and business owners have been moving quickly since the possible shift was reported last week in response to a downward trend in COVID-19 cases. They relaxed restrictions on youth and adult recreational sports to allow outdoor games with social distancing regulations. The county also eased rules for outdoor gatherings, including religious services, and schools can follow state guidance for reopening in-person instruction.

Though the move is welcomed news for many small eateries looking to stay afloat, 25% capacity might not mean much for smaller operations.

For Kirk Vartan, owner of A Slice of New York pizzeria, things won’t change much from a few months ago.

He said he’s been able to stay open due in part to his loyal customers, but will not open his doors for indoor dining. Vartan’s San Jose storefront is too small to have a meaningful return to indoor dining without putting his workers at risk. His Sunnyvale location is much bigger—with seating up to 55 people—but he’ll keep that restaurant closed for indoor dining too.

“Our focus is on safety and protecting our team,” said Vartan. “Honestly, there is no upside for us because it’s all risk. Even if there is reward with more business, it’s not worth the risk for us.”

The shift to the red tier comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that the state’s positivity rate has dropped to 2.3% compared to a peak of 14% over the 2020 holiday season. The state has also reported that Santa Clara County has an adjusted case rate of 6.7 per 100,000, allowing the county to move to the red tier.

“We could have not gotten to where we are today without every resident in our county doing their part,” said County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg at Tuesday’s news conference.

Counties must meet the state’s adjusted case rate criteria for two consecutive weeks to move down a tier. The county however warned that just because the state has relaxed restrictions on activities does not make them safe, and encouraged residents to wear masks when going out and to follow social distancing guidelines.

San Jose resident and CrossFit instructor Austin Begiebing has dealt with reopening and closing his gym in Milpitas multiple times as the county moved in and out of the purple tier last year. He’s been forced to set up his classes outdoors, which meant buying outdoor tents, faux grass and other outdoor equipment. That set him back at least $1,500 on top of paying the rent with decreased membership fees coming in.

Begiebing said he’s “excited” to move into the red tier, but won’t be having regular classes inside anytime soon.

“I’m excited about the move to the red tier but cautious about fully moving indoors too quickly,” Begiebing said. “We’ll keep our tent and turf outdoors while running some classes inside. If we stay in the red or progress to less restrictive tiers over the next couple of months, we’ll make the full shift inside.”

Marin and San Mateo counties already announced last week they were moving into the less restrictive tier. Santa Clara County could be joined by San Francisco and Napa counties as early as this week.

As of Tuesday, the county has reported 110,755 COVID-19 cases and 1,781 deaths.

Contact Lloyd Alaban at [email protected] or follow @lloydalaban on Twitter.

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Comments (25)

Brandon Mar 02, 2021 at 12:34PM

Meanwhile, Texas, where schools have been open and the children are doing much better, just rescinded the mask mandate and said restaurants can be open at full capacity. Why do we stand for leftists treating us like disease carrying rats in California?

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- Long Mar 02, 2021 at 1:54PM
  
  100% agreed . Thínk future
  
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- Steven Goldstein Mar 02, 2021 at 2:45PM
  
  Brandon,
  
  Have you ever done something under “against medical advice”?
  
  Texas is simply jumping head first into a empty swimming pool. But I understand, people can’t even stay home, they have NO WATER.
  
  So it is a disaster of even worse levels in Texas, that is why they feel they have “nothing to lose”.
  
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  - Brandon Mar 02, 2021 at 4:24PM
    
    Over 99% of people have nothing to lose if we take off the masks and get back to living life. Doctors give advice based on an overabundance of caution. Of course I’ve done things against doctors advice, and have been totally fine. Time to get on with it.
    
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    - Steven Goldstein Mar 02, 2021 at 5:55PM
      
      Brandon,
      
      the fatality rate of this disease is rated at about 2-3%, meaning that conservatively you had a 97% safety regarding death.
      
      But given that upward to 30% of people NOT dying have potential lifetime impairment after disease your now only about 67% safe.
      
      Brandon, if I was playing Russian roulette and I had 6 chambers in the gun and I was going to have only 2 bullets in the thing and I was told every day that I would have to spin the chamber and pull the trigger in the morning, I would say no way you take the gun.
      
      That is what your dealing with. But I know, you are determined to pull the trigger.
      
      I just hope the readers here understand what your suggesting.
      
      Oh wait there is new variants, get another gun load it with 2 bullets, and now you have 2 guns to pull the trigger in the morning. You do this with Each new variant every day.
      
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      - HB Mar 03, 2021 at 3:36AM
        
        Why have the private schools (you know, the ones like Gavin Newsom and teacher’s union presidents send their kids to) remained open without any significant problems?
        
        I would have thought that we would have read about it if one of the governor’s children had died of COVID while attending an in person private school.
      - Brandon Mar 03, 2021 at 4:32AM
        
        You are making up statistics to fit your preferred narrative. The fatality rate is less than 1%, as it has been the whole time. Those who do die almost exclusively have multiple other severe health problems. And you can’t possibly say that 30% of people who get infected will have long-term health problems. That’s an impossible claim, as this hasn’t been around long enough to know that. Yes, some people recover slower than others. But most people, myself included, are over it in a few days and it amounts to having a cold. Are you scared of car accidents, sharks, and getting struck by lightning? Those things, much like covid, can’t get you if you stay inside, which sounds like the kind of life you wish to lead. One with zero risk. However, you and the rest of the shut down brigade don’t get to make that call for everyone else.
      - HB Mar 03, 2021 at 9:13AM
        
        Brandon: Excellent comment. Spot on!
  - hoapres Mar 03, 2021 at 8:26AM
    
    I sure have and I am alive today because I didn’t do what the doctors told me. I know that sounds hard to believe but the medical profession isn’t always right.
    
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- Deanna Adams Mar 03, 2021 at 1:57PM
  
  Covid-19 did not shutter business nor created a circus-colored tier to jump hoops. The government created chaos and decimated small businesses and flooded online purchases killing off mom and pop. The government defrauded, barked, and roamed the prairie to make it a reality.
  
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Transparency and Accountability are Needed in San Jose Mar 02, 2021 at 8:52PM

Awesome. I can go get a haircut, and eat a cheeseburger indoors – but my kids can’t go into a classroom and read a book/learn from a teacher. Makes so much sense.

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- Make it make sense Mar 03, 2021 at 2:11AM
  
  Well yeah because those are quick runs. Meanwhile, if we let all kids back in school right now, you literally put your own child at risk because they are super spreaders to teachers and families, and they cannot receive a vaccine in the future sooo.
  
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- Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 3:53AM
  
  You have good cause to be critical.
  
  MOST schools are not “sanitary” and in fact are built with only “HIGH EFFICIENCY” when it comes to environmental controls, so the “Air quality” has always been less than ideal. In fact isn’t there studies that prove that the levels of Carbon Dioxide rise during the day because the outdoor air is not circulating in the buildings?
  
  And that these children spend at least 40 minutes in a shared biosphere at a time? as many as 7 times a day. This is NOT the same as going to a restaurant, which can perhaps be a 2 hour period if your really not wanting to move during a meal.
  
  And I can only imagine how hard it is to keep their masks on the students. I still find it very uncomfortable as an adult to wear them. Especially since I wear glasses, they fog up all the time.
  
  BUT these restaurants will have such a small capacity to eat indoors as well, only 25%, and yet you want 100% classrooms. These are NOT the same. Maybe you would be in a strong argument if only 25% of the students were allowed in the classrooms.
  
  Please consider this comparison? What is really funny is that Texas is trying to go back to “normal” while their case numbers are already starting to climb again.
  
  Are we going to have to go through another wave like the last one again? Are we going to learn from our 3 waves? Or are we going to get back into trouble again?
  
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  - HB Mar 03, 2021 at 4:25AM
    
    Pandemics go through natural cycles. Please read about the 1918 — hint, it wasn’t just 1918. Synopsis:
    
    “ Lasting from February 1918 to April 1920, it infected 500 million people – about a third of the world’s population at the time – in four successive waves.
    Date: February 1918 – April 1920
    Deaths: 17–100 million (estimates)
    Virus strain: Strains of A/H1N1”
    
    Why are private schools open? Perhaps they open a window to let in some fresh air? Or, perhaps it is because this particular virus presents virtually no risk to children. On the other hand the lockout at public schools has damaged, some permanently, tens of thousands of children and wrecked our economy— especially for people in the service industry.
    
    We will have additional waves irrespective of what our public health officials do. Other than vaccines (thank you operation “warp speed “ ) there is little that can be done to mitigate their course. BTW, we should quarantine sick people, not healthy ones.
    
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    - Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 11:10AM
      
      HB you wrote:
      
      “Why are private schools open? Perhaps they open a window to let in some fresh air? Or, perhaps it is because this particular virus presents virtually no risk to children. On the other hand the lockout at public schools has damaged, some permanently, tens of thousands of children and wrecked our economy— especially for people in the service industry.”
      
      Again, the PRIVATE schools have MUCH better facilities, and can afford daily disinfection practices, along with air disinfection systems in the HVAC design. The public schools do not have this. You wrote:
      
      “We will have additional waves irrespective of what our public health officials do. Other than vaccines (thank you operation “warp speed “ ) there is little that can be done to mitigate their course. BTW, we should quarantine sick people, not healthy ones.”
      
      But given that the majority of people are ASYMPTOMATIC and are SPREADERS, your logic should be then EVERY DAY EVERY ONE needs to be tested and proved not infected, PRIOR to leaving their homes, RIGHT? Otherwise, you cannot properly “QUARENTINE the sick alone”, RIGHT?
      
      However, we cannot even come close to testing everyone. Everyday, and get the results in say 24 hours, can we?
      
      I will agree that you HB and everyone must be tested at least once a day and not allowed to go anywhere UNTIL they are proven “SAFE”.
      
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    - Deanna Adams Mar 03, 2021 at 2:10PM
      
      This is the biggest political hoax ever pulled off using a high recovery virus to decimate the economy, created a climate for suicide and re-set an economy that virtually wiped out the middle and bloated the bottom with poverty. A scam and a shame. All told, I am 74 yrs and experienced lethal pandemics, survived Malaria in the South Pacific, Chicken Pox in the Netherlands, and lived as a hostage in the Dutch East Indies under undesired conditions. That being said, this virus did not create chaos instead the government rolled out the plan. And it is time that people wake up, adapt to the environment, and work on healthy habits. It is simple and to the point. No mask, no social distance, no locking up will destroy this virus since it is the 7th Coronavirus that infected people and more to follow as time progress. Government is the cause, not the virus! For me, I realized the con when Gavin Newsom spewed his speech on 03/16/2020 that 1 million deaths in 8 weeks if the state remains open. It is mathematically and scientifically impossible to kill off 1 million out of 39 million in population. And after 8 weeks of leveling the pressure valve tighten to keep the story alive until it is set in stone. I never believed Newsom, do not accept Social Engineering, and certainly will NOT take the vaccine.
      
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Joe Lynch Mar 03, 2021 at 6:15AM

The two county employees pictured here should be forced to retire. They have mishandled the pandemic from the start, used restrictions to advance a political agenda and spent huge sums of public dollars in court to defend policies that were repeatedly ruled unconstitutional and therefore illegal. They will have nice pensions at our expense – so Atty. Williams and & Dr. Cody – good night.

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- Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 10:39AM
  
  Joe Lynch,
  
  Are you talking about the Churches case?
  
  That was not a “failure” because the U.S. Supreme court did not order “FULLY UNRESTRICTED” indoor services, it only granted 20% indoor capacity. Hardly an “UNRESTRICTED EXCERCISE OF RELIGION”.
  
  Too many people here exaggerate their arguments. The reality is that our infections are currently down because the state and county has PREVENTED spread, and also NOT because of any vaccinations.
  
  And I suggest you apologize for using the term “good night”. I understood the cloaked threat that entails. I refer to:
  
  “Do not go gentle into that GOOD NIGHT
  
  Dylan Thomas – 1914-1953
  
  Do not go gentle into that GOOD NIGHT,
  Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
  
  Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
  Because their words had forked no lightning they
  Do not go gentle into that GOOD NIGHT.
  
  Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
  Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
  
  Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
  And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
  Do not go gentle into that GOOD NIGHT.
  
  Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
  Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
  
  And you, my father, there on the sad height,
  Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
  Do not go gentle into that GOOD NIGHT.
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
  
  Please be careful?
  
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  - Joe Lynch Mar 03, 2021 at 12:12PM
    
    The county has been abysmal failure across the board on this pandemic. The writer above is simply delusional.
    
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Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 11:01AM

Brandon you wrote:

“You are making up statistics to fit your preferred narrative. The fatality rate is less than 1%, as it has been the whole time.”

Yes because you are manipulating the statistics. Yes for the county BECAUSE infections are under control due to public health orders the current situation is this. Out of 1,918,880 people only 1,797 have died. So your claim is that COVID is fatal at 1,797/1,918,880 or 0.09%. However your count does not take into account that there are 110,911 cases we know of, which means you have to at the very least revise this to mean 1,797/110,911 which is 1.62%. Granted the county is outperforming the rest of the country which is actually according to Johns Hopkins is 1.8%.

“Those who do die almost exclusively have multiple other severe health problems.”

Please provide some kind of proof about this, you just saying so is not good enough. There in fact is no PROOF that it is “EXCLUSIVELY” because of other factors, NO real doctor has ever been able to make that SCIENTIFIC determination. You wrote:

“And you can’t possibly say that 30% of people who get infected will have long-term health problems.”

Actually, I can, given the recent report found here (https://abc7.com/covid-long-haulers-symptoms-linger-months-haul-fauci/10367454/) The NIH is accepting that as much as 30% of people that RECOVERED from COVID are still living with problems. So, when you claimed:

“That’s an impossible claim, as this hasn’t been around long enough to know that.”

I am not making the claim, the NIH has come up with that figure. You cannot attack me for their research. You wrote:

“Yes, some people recover slower than others. But most people, myself included, are over it in a few days and it amounts to having a cold.”

Remember the common phrase regarding investment advertising, “past performance does NOT predict future outcomes”. You are LUCKY that is it. You wrote:

“Are you scared of car accidents, sharks, and getting struck by lightning? Those things, much like covid, can’t get you if you stay inside, which sounds like the kind of life you wish to lead. One with zero risk. However, you and the rest of the shut down brigade don’t get to make that call for everyone else.”

Now that is just being a “Straw Man” trying to make false comparisons to try to distract the readers here.

“The fallacy of setting up a phony, weak, extreme or ridiculous parody of an opponent’s argument and then proceeding to knock it down or reduce it to absurdity with a rhetorical wave of the hand. E.g., “Vegetarians say animals have feelings like you and me. Ever seen a cow laugh at a Shakespeare comedy? Vegetarianism is nonsense!” Or, “Pro-choicers hate babies and want to kill them!” Or, “Pro-lifers hate women and want them to spend their lives barefoot, pregnant and chained to the kitchen stove!” A too-common example of this fallacy is that of highlighting the most absurd, offensive, silly or violent examples in a mass movement or demonstration, e.g. “Tree huggers” for environmentalists, “bra burners” for feminists, or “rioters” when there are a dozen violent crazies in a peaceful, disciplined demonstration of thousands or tens of thousands, and then falsely portraying these extreme examples as typical of the entire movement in order to condemn it with a wave of the hand.”

The fact is EVERY day we take “RISKS” but why should we take BIGGER ones simply to make you happy?

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Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 12:27PM

Joe,

You are entitled to your OPINION and are free to express it. But you are NOT an AUTHORITY.

Of course you ignored the message didn’t you. The County HAS the right to control the “Exercise of Religion” per the U.S. Supreme Court.

You are going to have to simply ACCEPT that decision.

Yes because you are manipulating the statistics. Yes for the county BECAUSE infections are under control due to public health orders the current situation is this. Out of 1,918,880 people only 1,797 have died. So your claim is that COVID is fatal at 1,797/1,918,880 or 0.09%. However your count does not take into account that there are 110,911 cases we know of, which means you have to at the very least revise this to mean 1,797/110,911 which is 1.62%. Granted the county is outperforming the rest of the country which is actually according to Johns Hopkins is 1.8%.

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- Joe Lynch Mar 03, 2021 at 3:32PM
  
  We won the Supreme Court case..no matter how you want to spin it. The county was acting illegally. Now they are not. Period. That is only one area I am talking about. The county should be taken over by a receivership for their many failures.
  
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  - Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 4:58PM
    
    Wait,
    
    I thought you said the U.S. Supreme Court would open the churches to 100%.
    
    That IS what you said, and many others did too.
    
    Given that the court ordered 20%, that would be a VERY hollow win, less than an F grade.
    
    Feel good about preventing the 100% fail, but getting a 20% win is really not a victory.
    
    I am just going to wait and watch as we get another surge.
    
    Like I said 2 times earlier
    
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lilliana sing Mar 03, 2021 at 2:16PM

I refuse to believe that we keep voting for these corrupt, power hungry socialists. We see the homeless populations. We see the poverty around us. We have watched our classrooms go from 15 or 20 kids on average per class to 40 and 50 kids in 2019. WE have watched P.E, arts, the Gifted and Talented Education be replaced with English as a second language. We have watched Dr. Sara Cody, SANTA CLARA COUNTY Public Health Officer get on Live TV and call us RACISTS because the Chinese business dropped off 10% because we were afraid of the corona virus…and we had no need to be since there was no evidence of infection unless we lived with somebody who came from Wuhan. Silicon Valley is a melting pot. Very few people are from here. We dont notice skin tones or accents in Silicon Valley. We are the least racist people likely on the entire planet. Are we really voting for these idiots and corrupt politicians? Doubt it. It has to be voter fraud.

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- Steven Goldstein Mar 03, 2021 at 3:29PM
  
  Yes and it is interesting that in the U.S. Supreme Court hearing a GOP lawyer was caught with this:
  
  ““What’s the interest of the Arizona RNC in keeping, say, the out-of-precinct ballot disqualification rules on the books?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked, referencing legal standing.
  
  “Because it puts us at a competitive disadvantage relative to Democrats,” said Michael Carvin, the lawyer defending the state’s restrictions. “Politics is a zero-sum game. And every extra vote they get through unlawful interpretation of Section 2 hurts us, it’s the difference between winning an election 50-49 and losing an election 51 to 50.”
  
  Wow, if you can’t convince a clear majority to vote for a person or a ballot proposition, you want to use any means necessary to make it so you cannot lose? Votes are NOT a zero sum game unless EVERY SINGLE VOTER VOTES EVERY TIME. Maybe we should have an ELECTION holiday. Thus this argument would actually be logical.
  
  When you have GOOD candidates, they win on their own, if you have BAD candidates, they lose.
  
  And the people you don’t like are now going to use any legitimate means to get enough voters to prevent this kind of manipulation.
  
  This is the way of the voting works in the U.S., Get over it.
  
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Dining in? Santa Clara County reopening announcement confirmed

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