All Of Southern California Now In Less-Restrictive Reopening Tier

An electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 NIAID-RML

For the second week running, a large group of California’s most-populous counties are moving from the most restrictive Purple tier of Governor Gavin Newsom’s reopening program to the less restrictive Red tier.

San Diego, Riverside, Santa Barbara and 9 additional counties including Ventura, Kern, Lake, Monterey, Nevada, Sacramento, Sutter, Tehama and Tulare are now allowed to shift from Purple to Red based on current state data and projections. These tier adjustments were assigned on Tuesday and take effect on Wednesday. Kings, San Joaquin and Yuba counties were supposed to be a part of that group, but spikes in cases this week held them back.

NEW: California updates it’s reopening map, now 87% of the state’s population is in the less restrictive Red tier. pic.twitter.com/vMNOCXvFJT

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) March 16, 2021

Those 12 counties join the 13 announced last week: Amador, Colusa, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Mono, Orange, Placer, San Benito, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Sonoma and Tuolumne.

The changes put at least 20 million of the state’s 40 million residents in the Red tier.

The Red tier of the state’s reopening plan allows for movie theaters, museum, zoos, aquariums and indoor dining to reopen to 25% capacity. Starting April 1, theme parks and outdoor live performances such as concerts and sports events can welcome attendees to 15% capacity.

California Purple Red tier — Purple vs. Red tier reopenings in CA plan L.A. Public Health

Alameda, Colusa, Lassen, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Trinity, Yolo counties were permitted even broader reopenings, moving from Red to Orange.

Tiny Mariposa county actually progressed from the Orange tier to the — currently — most permissive Yellow tier. Newsom said last week that the state is at work on a Green tier, with even fewer restrictions, if any.

Counties that remain in the most-restrictive level of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy include the three held back Tuesday as well as Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus.