In a further loosening of its shelter-in-place restrictions, Alameda County will begin allowing “social bubbles” â small outdoor gatherings of up to 12 people from different households, county health officials announced Friday. The new order also gives child care providers the green light to resume services for all children, not just those of essential workers.
The relaxed restrictions, which take effect on Monday, June 8, and align with those of the city of Berkeley (which has it’s own public health department), also allow youth extra curricular activities to resume under certain conditions, as well as career internship and pathways programs. Libraries can also reopen for curbside pickup of books and other media, as can certain businesses that involve limited person-to-person contact, including appliance repair and pet grooming services.
Officials said a “social bubble” should be maintained for a minimum of three weeks, with participation restricted to only one bubble at a time, and strongly encourages participants to continue following social distancing practices and wearing face coverings whenever possible.
The announcement of relaxed rules comes as Alameda County coronavirus deaths topped 100 on Friday, and the number of new infections increased by nearly 75 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 3,725 â the most of any Bay Area county.
âAs we move forward in Stage 2 of the reopening plan, we increase the level of exposure to infection among Alameda County residents,â Dr. Erica Pan, Health Officer for Alameda County, said in a statement. âThis is still a highly contagious virus and medically fragile residents and our disproportionally impacted communities are still at high risk for this disease.â
Outdoor museums and restaurant dining, religious services and additional outdoor activities (like fitness classes) will resume in phases in upcoming relaxations of shelter-in-place restrictions, officials said.
â Matthew Green (@MGreenKQED)
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