Alameda County Approved as Variance County, Some Businesses to Re-Open July 17, 2020 General COVID-19, Public Health Alameda County was recently approved as a variance county, allowing the county to move forward with the re-opening of the Oakland Zoo. The variance from certain state health guidelines during the pandemic also means that outdoor dining will be allowed to continue. However, other restrictions were imposed by the state because Alameda County was placed on the County Monitoring List for COVID-19, which meant immediate closure of all indoor malls and halting indoor worship services.