June 15, 2021
San Luis Obispo, CA — Today, California officially retires its Blueprint for a Safer Economy tier system and begins to fully reopen, lifting capacity and physical distancing restrictions for most businesses and activities. With this change, almost all sectors of the economy can return to pre-pandemic capacity limits. In most settings, people who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear face coverings.
The County of San Luis Obispo will be referring to the State’s Public Health Officer Order and will not be issuing more restrictive local guidance.
“While the pandemic is not fully behind us, today marks the start of a brighter new chapter for our community,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer. “I thank everyone who has worked hard to slow the spread of disease and is rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated. We can all play a role in ending the pandemic for good and ensuring COVID-19 never puts us through this again.”
Face coverings continue to be required for everyone in some settings: on public transit; indoors in K-12 schools and in childcare settings; in healthcare settings, including long term care facilities; and in detention centers, homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers.
Additionally, State guidance requires face coverings for those who have not been vaccinated (with exceptions for those who have a medical or mental health condition that prevents wearing a mask) in indoor public settings and businesses such as retail, theaters, and offices serving the public. State guidance specifies that businesses may allow patrons to self-attest they are in compliance; may request verification of vaccination; or may require all patrons to wear face coverings.
“I encourage everyone to respect and support each other and our businesses as we move forward into this new era together,” said Dr. Borenstein. “With vaccination and continued face covering in certain settings, we can feel comfortable safely enjoying the opportunities that reopening allows.”
For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County, visit ReadySLO.org. A staffed phone assistance center at (805) 781-5500 is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or www.VaccineFinder.org. For assistance, call the CA COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 or the County’s Phone Assistance Center at (805) 781-5500.