The Almanac November 20, 2020

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Governor pulls ‘emergency brake’ as COVID-19 cases spike San Mateo County moves back to red tier, putting more limits on indoor businesses By Sue Dremann

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n a rapid attempt to stanch the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued new orders to pull the “emergency brake” on the virus, pushing San Mateo County back into the red tier or substantial risk of infection, and Santa Clara County back two tiers from orange (moderate risk) to purple (widespread risk), the most restrictive. The change is effective starting Tuesday, Nov. 17. “We are sounding the alarm. California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet — faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer. The spread of COVID-19, if left unchecked, could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes. That is why we are pulling an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” Newsom said. “Now is the time to do all we can — government at all levels and Californians across the state — to flatten the curve again as we have done before.” The return to a red tier means that San Mateo County restaurants must limit indoor dining to 25% of capacity and other businesses, such as fitness centers, face additional restrictions. It’s the only Bay Area county still allowing indoor restaurant service, as the two other red tier counties,

Marin and San Francisco, have opted out. Moving to the red also means decreased capacity for places of worship. Bars that don’t serve meals must now close completely after being allowed to open outdoors in the orange tier, which the county was in last week. Under the purple tier, restaurants can have outdoor service only, and only outdoor gatherings in Santa Clara County are allowed for places of worship, museums, family entertainment centers, movies, and professional sports (without live audiences). All retail, including shopping malls, are restricted to 25% of capacity. A full list of what’s regulated can be found online at cdph.ca.gov. For more information on what businesses or activities may open in San Mateo County, visit covid19. ca.gov/safer-economy/ and type in “San Mateo County.” “I’m in support of any measures we can take to save lives,” said Menlo Park Mayor Cecilia Taylor. “This should not be seen as an inconvenience — so far we’ve done much better than other states and counties. Let’s continue to take good care of our residents and if that means switching to another tier to potentially save lives from (COVID-19), I support these measures.” During a presentation Tuesday to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, county Health Chief Louise Rogers said it’s a difficult

Olivia Treynor

A boy orders food at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside on Nov. 17. With coronavirus cases rapidly increasing across the state, as of Wednesday, San Mateo is the only Bay Area county still allowing indoor dining at restaurants.

time for everyone as the weather gets colder and patience wears down. “We really have to strengthen our resolve to adapt,” Rogers said. “As the holidays approach, everyone longs to be with their loved ones. But this year we want to show our love by keeping each other safe and keeping our collective eyes on the horizon with the

encouraging news of the vaccine coming.” Rogers said the county is “much better prepared this time around than with the earlier surges” due to its sufficient hospital capacity, increased testing capacity, a robust team of contact tracers, and a program to support people who need to isolate following infection.

She encouraged people to take advantage of free COVID-19 testing offered by the county, which can be found at smcgov. org/testing, and said that the county is also working with a company, contracted by the state, that provides contact tracers on weekends and after hours. See RED TIER, page 19

To help struggling restaurants, county supervisors put a lid on third-party delivery fees By Kate Bradshaw Almanac Staff Writer

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efore this week, if you were to place a $100 order from your favorite local restaurant and had it delivered through a delivery app, up to $30 would be kept as a commission fee by the

delivery app company. Effective Nov. 17, that amount was capped at $15, based on a unanimous decision by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, which voted to implement a temporary emergency ordinance that restricts the fees that third-party operators — like UberEats, DoorDash or

Grubhub — can collect from restaurants. Such delivery coordination companies regularly charge restaurants upward of 30% per order, according to Lauren Carroll, a county counsel fellow. Under the county’s cap, delivery services fees are limited to no more than 15% of an order

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for delivery orders and 10% for pickup orders. The ordinance applies to all restaurants in San Mateo County, as well as to customers who order at county restaurants from outside of the county. The delivery-coordination companies are also prohibited from reducing the pay to delivery drivers as a result of the

regulation. In addition, they are required to provide an itemized breakdown of all charges and fees to customers. The ordinance is set to expire June 30, 2021, or whenever the supervisors declare the COVID-19 emergency to be over. If See RESTAURANTS, page 17

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