As Santa Clara Co. Moves Into Orange Tier, Officials Urge Caution

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County moved into the orange tier in the state’s COVID-19 blueprint, indicating that spread of the virus in the county has decreased to a “moderate” level and that more businesses are allowed to reopen or expand capacity.

In a news release, county officials indicated that the county would be aligning itself with the state’s guidelines. The following changes to restrictions will be made beginning Wednesday:

• Indoor dining at maximum 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer;
• Retail stores indoors with modifications;
• Gyms and fitness centers indoors at maximum 25% capacity, with indoor pools open;
• Movie theaters at maximum 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer;
• Family entertainment centers indoors at maximum 25% capacity with modifications for areas of increased risk of proximity; and
• Zoos, museums, and aquariums at 50% maximum indoor capacity.

COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations have plummeted, allowing for restrictions to be eased. But during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody warned that the decline may have stalled at a level that is still too high.

“We should take a moment to celebrate and feel good for the safety that we’ve created for each other and that we are able to ease some restrictions, but to marry that celebratory mood with caution,” Cody said. “Because while the decline is still a decline, we are beginning to see signs that we are stalling out.”

In a news release, county officials said that though the orange tier allows more activities, “many of these activities remain very high risk.”

Santa Clara County’s current seven-day rolling average of daily new cases sits at 124.

As of this week, the county has vaccinated more than 28 percent of its residents over the age of 16 with at least one dose. But it still faces shortages in vaccine supply, which county officials believe will increase over the next couple of weeks.

“We face many challenges because of vaccine scarcity, but we will soon have much greater supply of vaccines coming our way,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county's testing and vaccine officer, in a news release. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our community has access to the vaccines as quickly and conveniently as possible, and we continue to invest in expansive outreach efforts in our hardest hit communities.”