Governor announces new rules: Nail and hair salons can reopen indoors; restaurants can seat up to 25 percent

A broad range of San Diego County businesses and other organizations will be able to open at various levels of indoor activity, according to new reopening rules announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday, Aug. 28.

State officials confirmed during a noon news conference that restaurants in a small number of counties, including San Diego, will be able to serve customers indoors at a maximum of 25 percent capacity, as will places of worship.

Barbershops, hair salons and nail salons would be able to move back indoors at full capacity while bars, breweries and other alcohol-serving locations would remain closed.

The changes still would need agreement from Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, who could still add more restrictions on top of the state’s.

The changes, which would take effect Monday, Aug. 31, came after announcement of a new four-tier, color-coded framework designed to replace the state’s existing COVID-19 watchlist. Purple designates the most severe, and restrictive, category reserved for places where novel coronavirus is “widespread.” Red is second from the bottom and is deemed “substantial.” It is at this level that some non-essential indoor reopening is allowed, and San Diego County is among eight counties statewide listed in the red.

A full list of allowed and disallowed activities for each county in the state is available at covid19.ca.gov.

— Paul Sisson is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune