COVID-19: Ventura County moves to less restrictive red tier in CA reopening framework
Ventura County was among several counties on Tuesday to advance to the less restrictive red tier in California's color-coded classification system.
Ventura County was among several counties on Tuesday to advance to the less restrictive red tier in California's color-coded classification system.
The move means businesses like restaurants, malls and gyms can reopen indoors with restrictions.
Schools could also opt for in-person classes after a 14-day waiting period.
Coronavirus in CA: Map shows which counties can, can't reopen under 4-tier system
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Merced and Yuba counties also moved to the red tier on Tuesday. Shasta County moved backward, from orange to red.
How a county is categorized depends on the number of new daily coronavirus cases and the testing positivity rate, or the proportion of those tested who turn back a positive result.
Counties in the red tier must have four to seven daily new cases per 100,000 residents or a 5-8% positivity rate.
Each color code has a different set of rules regarding what businesses are and aren't allowed to reopen, whether they can open indoors or outdoors, and at what capacity they can operate.
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The rules for the red tier include:
- Hair salons: open indoors with modifications
- Retail: open indoors at 50% capacity
- Malls: open indoors at 50% capacity and limited food courts
- Personal care services (nail salons, body waxing, etc.): open indoors with modifications
- Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors at 25% capacity
- Places of worship: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Movie theaters: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Hotels: open with modifications, plus fitness centers can open at 10% capacity
- Gyms: open indoors at 10% capacity
- Restaurants: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Wineries: outdoor only
- Bars and breweries: closed
- Family entertainment centers: outdoor only, like mini golf, batting cages and go-kart racing
- Cardrooms: outdoor only
- Non-essential offices: remote work only
- Professional sports: no live audiences
- Schools: can reopen for in-person instruction after two weeks out of the purple tier
RELATED: Here's a breakdown of each tier in California's new reopening framework
Tuesday was the first time that counties were assessed by the new equity metric. In addition to the county-wide positivity rate for the next tier, the community most disproportionately impacted in each county will also have to meet that same positivity rate. This can either hold counties back or help them move forward. State health officials say this is the first state, to their knowledge, that uses such a metric to address disparities statewide. Essentially, if the communities most impacted by the virus are not doing better, the county does not move forward.
