Restaurants prepare to welcome outdoor diners back
Tracy Lehr / NewsChannel 3-122
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - About an hour after hail fell on State Street in Santa Barbara, restaurant owners and workers got a delayed green light from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer, finally allowing outdoor dining.
Dr. Henning Ansorg said his health order will take effect on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 8 a.m.
Dr. Ansorg welcomed the change to the regional order, but said local COVID-19 case numbers remain high and ICU capacity is still very low.
The update puts local businesses back in the state s Purple Tier which allows outdoor dining with restrictions on the space between tables and the households allowed to sit together.