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Increase of COVID-19 Activity Leads to Postponement for Some Industries  

San Rafael, CA – A spike in coronavirus cases has led Marin County to delay the reopening of certain businesses previously scheduled to reopen on June 29. 

Marin County is witnessing an increase in COVID-19 case activity. On June 25, Marin recorded 54 new cases, the highest number in any one day thus far in Marin’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This corresponds to record-high numbers of people hospitalized, at 12, and in intensive care, at five.  Recent spikes in cases have been observed across the State of California, and local counties -- such as San Francisco and Contra Costa – have also announced delays in business reopening plans due to regional surges in cases.

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.

“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,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s Public Health Officer.  “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 decision to delay some of the business industry reopenings comes after careful deliberation of our current COVID-19 situation and weighing which businesses could move forward with minimal risk.

“We’re all eager to move forward out of the shelter in place, but the pandemic is far from over,” said Max Korten, Director of Marin County Parks and Acting Coordinator for the Marin Recovers Industry Advisors.  “We have a shared responsibility in this.  Everyone in Marin County needs to wear a face covering, maintain social distance, and practice good hygiene. These are simple tools, and our ability to reopen further depends a lot on following these practices as a community.”

The businesses and activities allowed to move forward with reopening on June 29 includes indoor dining, and hair salons and barbershops. Also coming online are campgrounds and RV parks, picnic and barbecue areas, outdoor vehicle-based gatherings. Guidance for all industries allowed to proceed beginning June 29 is available on the “Guidelines for Reopening” page of MarinRecovers.com. 

Reopenings that have been paused include 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).  These industries will be considered for the next round of reopenings, but a tentative date has not been established.

An overview of business sector reopenings is available on MarinRecovers.com. Businesses and activities are allowed to proceed under the current shelter-in-place order through amendments to the allowable business and allowable activity appendices.

More Information About Businesses Reopening: 

• Business Reopening Guidelines by Industry
• Reopening Status

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For private property or more complex uses of public right-of-way, we can work with you on a case-by-case basis.

On Monday night the City Council will consider authorizing the City Manager to have more discretion to quickly support the business community in expanding their limited operations while remaining compliant with the phases of reopening laid out by the County. The meeting starts at 7pm and you can participate by phone or through YouTube Live chat.

We will provide more information as it becomes available or if conditions change. Check marinrecovers.com frequently for new information. If you have questions or want to provide feedback about the reopening process, fill out this feedback form.

Local business resources and partners: