June 09, 2020 - 12:54 PM
San Diego County has given the green light for its famed San Diego Zoo to reopen and is allowing hotels to welcome back tourists just as summer vacation starts for many.
Museums, galleries, aquariums, card rooms and wineries, along with other recreational outlets like gyms and community pools, will also be allowed to reopen Friday.
Officials at the zoo were working on reopening plans and were expected to announce a date soon, said zoo spokeswoman Darla Davis.
The loosening of restrictions comes as the county's rate of positive coronavirus cases has ticked up above its 14-day rolling average. But it remains far below the minimum standard the state outlines for counties to reach before they can further roll back measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Tourism is one of San Diego's top industries with more than 35 million visitors last year.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020