San Mateo County celebrating change to yellow tier, looking ahead

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- San Mateo County moved into the yellow tier of the state's reopening plan Tuesday. That means restaurants and gyms can have more people inside and bars can now welcome people indoors.

Owen Molloy immediately started dusting off his bar, Molloy's Tavern in Colma, when he heard the news.

"Oh wow, I am so excited," Molloy said. "The first thing I did was come in and take off the plastic and uncover the pool table. We are ready to be a regular bar again."

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Molloy's opened up a beer garden and brought in a taco truck to meet the regulations to be open in the other more restrictive tiers and that kept them afloat. But he has seen so many others go under.

"I have seen too many," he said, shaking his head. "The Fairway, a long time bar down the road here. Toppers, hopefully, will open now that we are in yellow. They have been closed the whole time."

Molloy's Tavern was built in 1883. Owen Molloy's grandfather survived prohibition, and now he's proud to say that he survived a pandemic.

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County Supervisor Dave Canepa was also thrilled to hear the news that the county was advancing to the yellow tier and is ready to look forward.

"People are always saying 'Are you going to go back to purple tier and ICUs being full?' I think those days are far behind us," said Canepa.

Canepa reflected on the progress the county has seen in recent months.

"In San Mateo County we have vaccinated 76% of our residents, which is totally awesome," he said. "I think we are on our way. I don't see us moving back. I see us moving forward. But June 15 will be another milestone, hopefully the final milestone, for us ending COVID-19."

RELATED: Gov. Newsom announces plan to fully reopen California on June 15

June 15 is the date Governor Gavin Newsom has said the state will reopen and the tier system will be abolished.

The yellow tier is the least restrictive tier in the reopening plan.

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