Indoor Salons, Modified Retail Allowed in San Mateo County Under Governor’s Revised Reopening System

Beginning Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, hair salons and barbershops will be allowed to operate indoors in San Mateo County under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new color-coded reopening system which ranks counties based on COVID-19 case counts and positivity rate.

San Mateo County, which the state cites as having 8.6 new positive cases per 100,000 residents and a 4.8 percent positivity rate, is in the purple tier which denotes a “widespread” county risk level. Counties in that tier have more than seven new daily cases per 100,000 and more than 8 percent positive tests. Although San Mateo County’s positivity rate falls in the “moderate risk” level, the stricter tier takes precedence.

At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least three weeks before moving forward but as of Aug. 31 purple-ranked counties may open some businesses and activities with modifications such as all retail and shopping centers at a maximum 25 percent capacity, and hair salons and barbershops indoors.

Industry specific guidance for salons and barber shops: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/

Industry specific guidance for  shopping centers: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/