Coronavirus updates: Woman challenges SLO store’s mask rule, restaurants start to reopen
San Luis Obispo County added two new coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the total number of local COVID-19 patients to 251.
The county has been given the green light to reopen dine-in restaurants and retail shops with restrictions, while the Pismo Beach City Council passed an emergency ordinance requiring employees at essential businesses to wear face masks.
Meanwhile, a third skilled nursing facility employee tested positive in San Luis Obispo County.
Here are your local coronavirus updates for Thursday:
SLO County restaurants, stores start to reopen after closures
San Luis Obispo County restaurants and retail shops got the go-ahead Wednesday afternoon to reopen with restrictions — but most will need a few more days to adapt to the new guidelines.
As of Thursday, most restaurants in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo were pickup or delivery only, but many were buzzing with employees preparing to reopen in a few days.
Downtown San Luis Obispo boutiques were also open for business Thursday morning.
“You hope you survive something like this, and it’s sad to see some businesses that weren’t able to, so it was just a matter of weathering that storm,” Kelly Yates, owner of Summerland Co., said. “I woke up excited this morning. I couldn’t get down here fast enough.”
Woman posts video of herself challenging SLO store’s mask rule
A cell phone video shot by a defiant customer at a San Luis Obispo grocery store who refused to cover her face per store policy has gone viral, with hundreds of viewers commenting in support of the store’s employees.
The roughly one-minute video — titled “Entitled karen refuses to wear a mask in grocery store, then decides to film the confrontation” — shows the woman being confronted by employees at a Smart & Final location before she’s asked to leave.
Users on Reddit and other social media quickly identified the woman as Shelley Lewis, a Dana Point resident and so-called “anti-masker” who is known to promote conspiracy theories, according to national media.
Lewis has uploaded similar videos of herself challenging employees at California grocery stores regarding their policies requiring masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
SLO encourages businesses reopening to flush water systems
San Luis Obispo businesses that closed temporarily due to the shelter-at-home guidelines are being asked to flush their water lines before using them again.
The city issued a statement Thursday saying it adds a small amount of residual chlorine disinfectant to act as a quality safeguard as water travels through SLO’s water distribution system.
But after periods of low or no water use, the “residual chlorine may diminish and cause water stagnation or growth of microorganisms,” city officials said.
Third nursing facility employee tests positive for COVID-19
A third skilled nursing facility employee tested positive for coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday, according to Compass Health CEO Darren Smith
According to Smith, the employee works at the Danish Care Center in Atascadero, one of Compass Health’s seven facilities.
According to KSBY, Smith confirmed the employee case Wednesday night.
Essential workers must wear masks in Pismo Beach businesses
Essential workers in Pismo Beach will be required to wear face coverings when dealing with the public.
The Pismo Beach City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday night requiring that employees wear face coverings at local businesses. The ordinance does not extend to customers.
The rule went into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
SLO County gets OK to reopen dine-in restaurants, stores
San Luis Obispo County has been given the green light to “move more quickly through Stage 2 opening sectors” — meaning restaurants and stores can reopen for in-person services to some extent.
According to the California Public Health Department, San Luis Obispo County has met the criteria needed to move forward.
San Luis Obispo County was one of 29 counties allowed to move forward in the Resilience Roadmap as of Wednesday. Santa Barbara County and Monterey County were not on the list of qualified counties.
Retail stores and dine-in restaurants will be allowed to reopen following the state’s industry-specific guidelines.
Bubblegum Alley is open, for now
City officials in San Luis Obispo are not closing Bubblegum Alley right now, as some might have feared with some modeling of how wood barriers might be installed at both entrances this week.
But city officials say they are monitoring the situation at the popular landmark that attracts tourists and shoppers passing by. And they could cut off access if needed.
City officials want to make sure physical distancing is practiced moving into the summer months.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: Woman challenges SLO store’s mask rule, restaurants start to reopen."
