With coronavirus spike, Marin County delays some business reopenings

Marin County on Friday retreated from plans to open some businesses Monday, citing a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“Since the beginning of our reopening process in early May, Marin Public Health has committed to moving at a sequential rate, guided by local COVID-19 data and our progress indicators,” Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s Public Health Officer, stated in the county’s announcement Friday afternoon. “We’re seeing patterns we need to pay attention to. We’re not closing anything down. We’re just slowing the pace in response to the data.”

The county reported that on Thursday, it recorded 54 new cases, the highest number in any one day thus far in Marin’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it reports 12 people hospitalized as the result of the coronavirus (five in the intensive care unit).

“Compounding the spike within Marin residents is a large outbreak at San Quentin State prison with more than 500 infected inmates in the past two weeks. The transfer of critically ill inmates from that facility has created stress on local hospitals. Over 75 staff, some of whom live in Marin County, have also been infected,” the county stated.

As a result, hotels, motels and short-term rentals; gyms and fitness studios; and other personal services (body art professionals, tattoo parlors, piercing shops, electrology services, estheticians, skin care and cosmetology services, non-medical massage services, and nail salons will not be allowed to reopen on Monday. No date was announced when that will now happen.

Still on track to be permitted to reopen on Monday are indoor dining, and hair salons and barbershops. Also coming online are campgrounds and RV parks, picnic and barbecue areas, outdoor vehicle-based gatherings.

The county stated that guidance for all industries allowed to proceed beginning June 29 is available on the “Guidelines for Reopening” page of MarinRecovers.com.