Starting July 13, nail salons, barber shops and gyms are among the businesses permitted to open in Morgan Hill if they have implemented an approved social distancing plan.
Meanwhile, the total number of positive Covid-19 cases continues to surge in Santa Clara County. As of July 9, there have been 5,678 cases of Covid-19 in the county. Since June 23, the total number of daily cases has been well above triple digits, with 193 cases reported that day alone.
In Morgan Hill, there have been 136 cases of Covid-19, and 268 cases in Gilroy.
Despite the rising numbers, the county received the state Department of Public Health’s blessing to proceed with its reopening plan July 13. The new plan eases restrictions on most businesses and activities, and requires updated social distancing protocols to be implemented at all businesses.
An email blast from Morgan Hill city staff notes that the county’s July 13 order “explicitly states that social distancing and the use of face coverings in public are critical to combating COVID-19, which ‘continues… to pose a severe risk to residents of our County.’”
The county health officer has begun issuing “mandatory directives” with rules to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus within each industry and activity allowed to resume under the new order. “All businesses and people in the county must follow these directives, as well as the industry-specific guidance issued by the state,” the city’s email says.
Today, the county has released mandatory directives for the following industries effective July 13 or upon reopening: construction, personal care services, outdoor dining, food facilities, gyms and fitness centers, gatherings (including social, religious, political, ceremonial, athletic and other types of gatherings).
Additional mandatory directives will be released for recreational and athletic activities, hotels and motels, public transit, pools, childcare, summer camps and children’s activities.
