Several restaurants in downtown Pleasanton are giving push back to the county and the state, letting people eat outside, even though stay-at-home orders have yet to be lifted.
“The fact that we ramped up, stocked our fridge, hired people back hoped the shelter-in-place was a three week time frame, I felt we were right to open on Friday,” said Todd Utikal of Sidetrack Bar and Grill.
The stay-at-home order was slated to potentially end Friday, but with cases surging and hospitals pushed to the max, experts say it’s likely to continue. So customers poured in to support them.
“We know a lot of people who own restaurants. We want to make sure they’re still here,” said Jim McCauley from Pleasanton.
In a press release, Alameda County Public Health Department says the state’s regional stay-at-home order will remain in effect until lifted by the state.
The state will not lift the order until the ICU capacity in each region meets or exceeds 15%.
That is not the case in the Bay Area where the current capacity is hovering around 3.5%.
“I totally appreciate COVID is dangerous. We’re taking the precautions, being outdoors being 6 feet away as the CDC tells us is reasonable,” a customer said.
Other restaurants like one in Danville have allowed outdoor dining and have been fined up to $1,000 a day.
Utikal is hoping he won’t be fined. The state is expected to provide an update on the stay-at-home order on Saturday.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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