Wedding and spa restrictions eased; SLO County adds free COVID-19 testing sites
Modified indoor wedding ceremonies are now allowed in San Luis Obispo County, and spa services may begin Friday, according to Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.
Borenstein said that wedding events are similar to religious ceremonies, in that they’re allowing up to 100 people or 25% of the usual capacity, whichever is fewer.
“If it’s an outdoor event, it can be as many people as can be spread out using 6 feet distancing,” Borenstein said. “However, the state doesn’t permit the reception or the party to go along with the wedding, just the service.”
Additionally, personal care services in non-healthcare settings — such as spas, nail salons, massage therapy, and body art facilities — can reopen with modifications on Friday, according to county health officials.
While these activities are officially allowed, Borenstein warns against them in small, enclosed indoor spaces that tend to create a conducive setting for COVID-19 to spread.
Borenstein said the county will continue to monitor the state regulations about what is allowed in regard to weddings and other public gatherings, as public health data continues to drive decisions.
The county recorded its single highest new coronavirus case count Wednesday, with 20 reported.
Risk levels defined
The risk of COVID-19 spreading at events and gatherings increases as follows, according to county Public Health:
• Lowest risk: Virtual-only activities, events, and gatherings.
• More risk: Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear cloth face coverings, do not share objects, and come from the same local area.
• Higher risk: Medium-sized, in-person gatherings adapted to allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and with attendees coming from outside SLO County.
• Highest risk: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.
Testing sites added
Two new free COVID-19 testing clinics are scheduled for next week in Oceano and Cambria.
The pop-up testing clinics will be staffed by county employees and analyzed at the Public Health Department lab, which has recently increased its testing capacity to 300 tests per day.
“We continue to increase access to testing in SLO County and now are able to do so through our own laboratory,” Borenstein said in a news release. “We previously used a vendor for other pop-up clinics and were frustrated to see that some tests failed and many were seriously delayed in their results. To remedy this, our own staff and lab will now provide our residents with timely and accurate test results.”
Results from approximately 300 tests have been delayed or are incomplete because of an error related to the vendor’s lab.
However, results that were received were accurate, county officials said.
“The county had entered a no-cost partnership with the independent nonprofit to increase access to testing countywide, but the organization was not able to meet its obligations and provide results in a timely manner,” health officials said in the release. “The county’s Public Health lab can produce faster results within 24 to 48 hours.”
In addition to the pop-up testing events, free COVID-19 testing is available at ongoing sites in Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo. In total, the sites include:
▪ Cambria — Cambria Veterans Hall, 100 Main St., June 24-25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
▪ Grover Beach — Ramona Garden Park, 993 Ramona Ave., Monday-Friday (ongoing), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
▪ Oceano — Oceano Community Center, 1425 19th St., June 22-23, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
▪ San Luis Obispo — SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Ave., Monday-Friday (ongoing), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing.
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