Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino now meet the full range of metrics to qualify for the red level, but they must stay there for a week before the state allows them to reopen more businesses and activities.
Riverside and Ventura counties are very close, and could also move soon based on some additional statewide targets for vaccination that are expected to be met soon.
The state typically announces new level assignments on Tuesdays. This week, the state announced nine counties (none of them in Southern California) that are now changing to less restrictive levels.
To change levels, counties must meet several metric targets such as case rates per 100,000 residents, the positivity rate, and a health equity metric that focuses on the most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Los Angeles County
On Tuesday, the average daily rate of new COVID-19-adjusted cases in the state of Los Angeles County fell to 5.2 per 100,000 residents, well below the target of 7 cases per 100,000 to qualify for the red level. The county already met the other metrics.
The county is expected to move forward after the state reaches the threshold of administering 2 million doses of vaccine to affected communities statewide, a total that could be reached by the end of the week.
Los Angeles County officials expect the change to the red level to come next week.
Initially, the county was projected to advance to the red level by the end of this month, and the rate of new daily COVID-19 infections was expected to fall below the mandatory 7-case-per-100,000 threshold on Tuesday. If the county maintained that level for two weeks, it would go from the purple level to the “red” level.
The state, however, changed the thresholds to move through the four-tier plan for a safer economy last week, given the volume of vaccines being administered to lower-income communities across the country. state.
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When that happens, moving up to the red level will require a county to have a new case rate for every 10,000 people, a rate that LA County will already have met within the required two weeks. The county’s health director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, said that means the county will likely advance to “red” by the middle of next week.
If it goes from the restrictive purple level to the red level, the county will be allowed to increase capacity limits to retail establishments and reopen indoor dining halls, fitness centers and movie theaters. However, the county is not bound by state guidelines and could continue to impose stricter rules.
For example, while the county currently allows outdoor dining in the purple zone, it still prohibits restaurants from turning on television sets in their backyards, as a way to avoid sports fan gatherings. The state does not have this restriction on restaurants.
Orange County
Orange County also meets all the requirements to move to the red level, including a case rate of 6 per 100,000 residents. Its positivity rate is even stronger, and it meets orange level standards
If the county can keep those metrics until Sunday, it can reach the red level, allowing you to relax orders at home, before March 17th.
The county also reported 108 new cases and declining hospitalization rates on Tuesday, but 61 more fatalities.
Where is your county?
Check out the map below to find out where your county is and keep reading to see what can and can’t be opened in each color-coded category.
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The red level allows many companies and organizations to reopen. For example, retail stores could allow half the capacity instead of 25%, and museums, zoos, and aquariums could reopen for indoor activities at 25% capacity, as could movie theaters. , gyms and restaurants.
Below is a complete breakdown of what can be reopened and not at the red level:
- Beauty salons: open inside with modifications
- Retail: open indoors with 50% capacity
- Shopping centers: open indoors with 50% capacity and limited dining areas
- Nail salons: open inside with modifications
- Electrolysis: open indoors with modifications
- Personal care services (body hair removal, etc.): open interior with modifications
- Tattoo and perforation: open inside with modifications
- Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors with 25% capacity
- Places of worship: open indoors with a capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
- Cinemas: open indoors with 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
- Hotels: open with modifications, in addition to fitness centers can be opened with 10% capacity
- Gyms: open indoors with 10% capacity
- Restaurants: open indoors with 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
- Cellars: outdoors only
- Bars and breweries: closed
- Family Entertainment Centers – Outdoor only, such as mini golf, batting cages, and go-kart racing
- Card rooms: outdoor only
- Non-essential offices: remote work only
- Professional sports: no live audience
- Schools: Can be reopened for face-to-face instruction after two weeks off the purple level
- Theme parks: must remain closed
City News Service and Associated Press contributed to this report.
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