The rapid pace of San Diego County reopening its economy continues, even as public health officials reported 132 new COVID-19 cases, six deaths and a reported outbreak tied to a reopened restaurant Friday.
Bars, zoos, community swimming pools, movie theaters and hotels all were allowed to open Friday, and a new group of businesses allowed to reopen was announced at a county news briefing.
Guidance from the state late Thursday night allowed County Supervisor Greg Cox to announce nail salons, massage and tattoo parlors, and personal care businesses such as waxing will be allowed to open Friday, June 19. Sanitizing and facial coverings at these businesses will be especially important due to the physical proximity of the work, he said.
Cox did offer a word of caution as more businesses open their doors.
"We can't let reopenings lead to a surge in cases that will ruin everything we have done in the last several months," he said.
RELATED: COVID-19: What To Consider Before Leaving Home
The county also announced a new interactive website Friday which will allow county residents to find COVID-19 testing locations near them. The site, available on 211sandiego.org, will allow people to peruse which locations to be tested are right for their schedule and geographic locations.
While the cases and deaths reported Friday increased totals to 9,130 COVID-19 cases in the county and 313 related deaths, a large surge in cases from Memorial Day forward due to reopenings and weeks of protests has not yet surfaced. The incubation period for the novel coronavirus — which causes COVID- 19 — is believed to be around two weeks.
The 6,384 tests reported Friday are the most single-day tests yet, said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, and the 132 new cases make up just 2% of the tests. The county has recorded 214,960 tests since the pandemic began.
Even with a lack of a significant spike, early signs of a possible resurgence are showing. Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer, said the county has recorded five community outbreaks of the illness in the past week. Past community outbreaks have included church meetings, parties, an "unauthorized" wedding and offices.
"We had only about three community outbreaks in the month of May," Wooten said.
One newly reported Friday includes an outbreak at a restaurant. The outbreak remains under investigation, and Wooten said she could not share additional information until the outbreak was confirmed.
One of the county's 13 "triggers" which could cause the county to take industry-specific actions, pause all reopening efforts or even dial back reopenings is seven recorded community outbreaks in a week. These triggers are divided into three categories: epidemiology and public health, with four triggers each — and health care, with five. The county remains "green" on all 13 triggers.
RELATED: How To Evacuate From Wildfire During Coronavirus Pandemic
Cox said movie theaters reopening Friday will follow similar occupancy rules to churches, with a maximum of 25% of the room's capacity or 100 customers, or whichever is lowest, and typical sanitizing and facial coverings required while in line.
However, not every business able to open Friday necessarily did, Cox said, referencing the San Diego Zoo's announced June 20 reopening date. The USS Midway Museum announced Thursday it would hold off on reopening until July 1.
"The dangers of COVID-19 are as real today as they were in March," Fletcher said Wednesday.
He cited ballooning hospitalization rates in Orange and Ventura counties and a continued crisis in Los Angeles County in saying that while San Diego County has avoided the worst of the pandemic so far, caution must be exercised to avoid a second wave.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency-funded Great Plates program, which partners with local restaurants to deliver food to seniors during the pandemic, had been scheduled to end Wednesday but was extended through July 1.
More than 1,400 people have received meals from 31 restaurants under the program.
