Orange County restaurants glad to reopen after CA lifts stay-at-home order
ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- After California lifted the regional stay-at-home orders, Orange County is back in the purple tier, allowing restaurants to resume outdoor dining but leaving many other restrictions in place.
The state lifted the orders after four-week projections show intensive-care units in Southern California hospitals should climb back over 15% available bed capacity as the current surge levels off and as vaccinations continue.
RELATED: California lifts stay-at-home order
The Katella Grill in Orange, which had to close for in-person dining in December, is glad to welcome back customers in a tent set up on the parking lot, outfitted with outdoor heaters.
"A lot of people are very excited," said Katella Grill server Jessica Anzo. "With the cold we have heaters here. They said it's different - the service, the smiles through the eyes. They missed that for two months. They couldn't wait."
Orange County is also launching a new effort to reach out to underserved communities during the COVID-19 vaccination process.
The Latino community makes up 44% of the county's COVID-19 cases and 39% of the deaths, but only 11% of the vaccine doses distributed.
The county is launching a new vaccine-equity pilot program to reach out to some of those communities.
