DAYTON—Local restaurants can now open their doors to indoor dining at 25% capacity, Columbia County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman told the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, the South-Central Region, which includes Columbia County, was given the green light to advance to Phase 2 of the governor’s plan for recovery from COVID-19. The region will remain in Phase 2 for two weeks, then will be reevaluated, she said.

“We will have to be vigilant in order to stay in Phase 2,” she said. “If we don’t meet the Phase 2 requirements, we would go back to Phase 1 for two weeks.”

Lanman said only three people are currently positive for COVID-19, and while county numbers are encouraging, there is the need for greater caution.

She said she learned of seven new variants over the weekend. Lanman encourages people to get over their “hesitancy” about being vaccinated and call the public health department to make an appointment.

“We appreciate all the people who have,” she said.

Lanman said the vaccination clinic at the fairgrounds is going well.

On Tuesday, 95 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine are to be administered, and 130 second doses will be administered on Thursday, Feb. 18.