Namaste, Brother

(NBC Bay Area)

The businesses are restless. Among the increasing number of restaurants, gyms, and salons that are defying San Mateo County health orders is the Pacifica Beach Yoga studio: [bold added]

The county alleged in the lawsuit that owner Tommy Antoon has flagrantly refused to abide by various health orders for months, and has offered indoor, “mask-free” yoga classes, sometimes up to three times a day. All indoor gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios must close in areas covered by the state’s current stay-at-home orders, imposed after COVID-19 cases threatened to swamp state hospitals.

The complaint filed in San Mateo County Superior Court also said Antoon failed to require staff and customers to wear face coverings and observe other safety protocols, and has refused requests by county staff to voluntarily follow public health orders.

According to the lawsuit, on Jan. 5, Antoon told a county staffer “I’ll never close” and profanely rejected citations he’d been issued, saying he would never pay them...

So far, at least nine businesses have been fined as repeat offenders of stay-at-home orders since the County started keeping track of violations in November. They include a bar, a beauty salon, a gas station and several gyms, among others. The Pacifica yoga studio was among them.

Fines against Pacifica Beach Yoga totaled $3,750, including a $250 citation in November for advertising “mask-free” hot yoga, and another $500 fine in December for operating indoors.

You know you've lost when the owner (note: a Trump supporter) of a yoga studio swears at you.

[Update - 1/25/21: Newsom reopens California, with most counties going to ‘purple’ tier.

Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted mandatory stay-home orders across California Monday as the surge of coronavirus cases that followed the holiday season begins receding.

The move will shift counties back into the color-coded reopening system and reopening will no longer be tied strictly to the number of available beds in intensive care units.

Now, with most counties statewide poised to reenter the purple tier, some activities like outdoor dining and personal-service businesses like nail salons will be allowed to resume. Individual counties can still impose stricter requirements, despite the relaxed mandate from the state.

Some believe that the petition to recall Gov. Newsom is tied to this sudden lifting of the State-wide mandate. I don't believe this cynical interpretation. The models said it was not safe, so we locked down for almost a year. Now the same models say it's safe(r). Believe the science!