California will allow indoor gatherings as virus cases plummet.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will allow indoor concerts, theater performances and other private gatherings starting April 15 as the rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus in the state nears a record low.

The decision is a sharp turnaround from the slow pace California has taken on lifting restrictions, and comes as the governor urges people to continue being vigilant about wearing masks.

To attend gatherings, people will have to either be tested or show proof of full vaccination. California has administered nearly 19 million doses and nearly 6.9 million people are fully vaccinated in a state with nearly 40 million residents. But only people 50 and over are eligible statewide to get the vaccine now. Adults 16 and older won’t be eligible until April 15.

Under the new rules, how many people can attend events will depend on the level of restrictions in place at each county. The state divides counties into four tiers based on how widespread the virus is in those places.

The purple tier is most restrictive. Indoor concerts and theater performances aren’t allowed in this tier. They are allowed in the red tier, but at 10 percent capacity for venues holding up to 1,500 people and 20 percent capacity for venues with greater capacity. If all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination, that capacity would jump to 25 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

Capacity increases in each of the lower tiers.

If venues separate people into sections, people in the “fully vaccinated” section can sit shoulder to shoulder but they still must wear masks, according to state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón.

“This is really going to be a pathway to allowing venues to meet the capacity limits,” Aragón said.