COVID Reopening: Solano County Finally Moves Into The Orange Tier
FAIRFIELD (CBS SF) -- With clock counting down toward the June 15th lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions statewide, health officials announced Tuesday that Solano County has finally qualified to move out of the restrictive Red Tier on California's pandemic business reopening scale.
The announcement ended months of waiting for Solano County residents as they have watched all the other Bay Area counties move first into Orange and then many into the least restrictive Yellow Tier.
Alameda, Napa, Sonoma and Contra Costa counties are currently in the Orange Tier. San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties have long been in the least restrictive Yellow Tier.
Only four counties in the entire state -- Del Norte, Shasta, Yuba and Stanislaus -- remain mired in the Red.
In the last two weeks, Solano County has seen a continued decline in case rate to below 6 per 100,000 to qualify for the Orang Tier. COVID-19 related hospitalizations remain low, and 225,477 county residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"We are seeing a substantial decrease in the spread of COVID-19 in our community, therefore enabling us to move down to the next tier and expanding capacity for our businesses," said Solano County Health Officer Dr. Bela T. Matyas. "While we are nearing the end of the pandemic, we continue to encourage our community members to get vaccinated to protect themselves from severe illness and death."
The Orange Tier will allow county to make the following changes to its health regulations.
- Restaurants, including wineries, breweries and distilleries that serve meals, can operate indoors with 50 percent capacity or a maximum of 200 people, whichever is fewer.
- Breweries, wineries, and distilleries that do not serve meals may open indoors with modifications, including 25 percent capacity indoors, or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
- Retail establishments can operate indoors with modifications
- Movie theaters and places of worship can operate indoors with 50 percent capacity or a maximum of 200 people, whichever is fewer.
- Gyms and health clubs, including yoga studios, can operate indoors with 25 percent capacity
- Graduation and commencement ceremonies can be held outdoors at 33 percent capacity with assigned seating and other modifications
