San Diego Reopens Economy To Travelers, Relaxes Mandates

San Diego joined the State of California in reopening the economy for leisure and business travelers, marking the return of group meetings and conventions back to the region. Per guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health, nearly all the previous COVID-19 mandates have been relaxed, ushering in pre-pandemic operations for most San Diego businesses:

• Hotels, restaurants, wineries, bars, live music venues, cardrooms, breweries, museums, zoos, retail centers, family entertainment centers and aquariums are open without capacity restrictions.
• Vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks except in limited situations, such as on public transportation and in transit hubs like an airport.
• Physical distance mandates no longer apply.

The only remaining mandates are for large-scale events dubbed “mega-events,” which are indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 and outdoor gatherings of more than 10,000. For those types of events, attendees will either need to be vaccinated or have had a negative COVID test. Attendees need only to self-attest that they comply with those requirements. The rules for mega-events are currently scheduled to sunset on Oct. 1, 2021.

Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, said today’s reopening was the culmination of more than 15 months of work by local businesses to develop and implement best-in-class safety protocols to ensure visitors’ health and well-being.

“This is a great day for San Diego and for California,” Coker said. “We are open for business and can’t wait to welcome travelers back to our region so they can begin to create new, meaningful memories. With San Diego’s strong vaccination rates and its case rates continuing to fall, visitors can feel comfortable and confident as they experience all that the region has to offer.”