“Bay Area health officials have eased some restrictions in the latest shelter-in-place order that’s at curbing the coronavirus outbreak. The new mandate — which applies to Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, plus the City of Berkeley — will allow construction, real estate transactions and certain outdoor businesses to resume as long as they comply with safety and social distancing protocols. The order went into effect May 4 and is set to last through May 31.
Nurseries, landscapers, gardeners and childcare programs for essential workers where there are less than 12 children will all be able to operate under the new order. Other recreational outdoor activities and facilities that were previously barred — like skate parks — also can reopen as long as the activity doesn’t involve shared equipment or physical contact. Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the latest order is designed to “preserve the progress that we’ve made.” She noted that on Feb. 4, Santa Clara County was an epicenter of the outbreak with two of 11 — or 18 percent — of the country’s confirmed cases of Covid-19. Six weeks later, the county accounts for less than 5 percent of cases in the state and an even smaller fraction of the more than 1 million cases in the U.S.” – States the East Bay Express
This is good news for skateboarders! 
But calm down for just a moment… They will be re-opening the skateparks, but only “as long as the activity doesn’t involve shared equipment or physical contact”…. Key words there, physical contact. This means you can guarantee they will be watching and waiting for that big group of skaters to arrive and grab a hug from a brother or sister. They will be watching for homies breaking social distancing rules by getting little too hyped and possibly engaging in hi-five or two. Please believe they will be watching.
If you do visit your local today, follow proto and send your buddy an air-five for that sickness they just laid down.
words by Keith Halterman
