California Lifts Stay-at-Home Order, Allowing Outdoor Dining to Return to San Diego

The California Restaurant Association (CRA) sent out a letter to its members on Sunday, January 24, notifying them that senior officials from Governor Newsom’s administration had informed the organization that the stay-at-home order would be lifted for all regions of the state, saying that a formal announcement would be expected today.

And this morning, official word from the state is that the order has been lifted for the Southern California, San Joaquin Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area and that California will returning to the previous color-coded system of county-by-county restrictions.

This change could allow businesses like restaurants to start outdoor dining, although local public health officials could implement stricter rules for on-site dining. The 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew has also been lifted.

San Diego County and the Southern California region has been under a stay-at-home order since December 6. At that time, the order was tied to ICU capacity and the state said that the order would not be lifted until ICU capacity met or exceeded 15 percent.

UPDATE: At the governor’s noon update on Monday, Newsom shared the four-week ICU capacity projection for the Southern California region is forecasted to be 33.3 percent by February 21. Therefore, under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, San Diego County has joined 54 counties across the state that are now categorized back into the purple tier, which allows restaurants, wineries, and tasting rooms to operate outdoor dining with modifications. Bars, breweries, and distilleries remain closed where no meals are served.