SOLANO COUNTY RETURNS TO RED TIER
Indoor dining, movie theaters among sectors allowed to reopen at limited capacity
Solano County is seeing red again.
After four months of being relegated to California’s most restrictive purple tier to curb the spread of COVID-19 cases that were increasing at the time, the California Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that Solano will return to the less-restrictive red tier.
The new tier will go into effect Wednesday, allowing more businesses and activities to reopen or expand their capacity.
Back in September, Solano was permitted to move into the red tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, although it was moved back to the purple tier in November because of a spike in COVID cases at the time. Now that it is back in the red tier, certain sectors can resume indoor operations or increase their capacity, although all businesses must still apply to state guidelines.
“The declining number of cases is great news for our community as a whole, with local businesses now able to expand operations,” Dr. Bela T. Matyas, Solano’s public health officer, said in a statement. “However, it is still critical for everyone to continue to practice health and safety measures.
“Let us all continue to do our part to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19 infection— wear a mask, practice physical distancing, limit gatherings with others outside of the household, and get vaccinated when the vaccine is available for you.”
Among the changes in the red
tier, per Solano’s announcement:
• Restaurants can allow for indoor dining at 25 percent of their usual capacity or a maximum of 100 patrons, whichever is fewer.
• Retailers can operate at a maximum of 50 percent of the businesses’ capacity.
• Indoor shopping centers and swap meets can operate at 50 percent capacity, although common areas will be closed.
• Museums, zoos and aquariums can operate indoors at no more than 25 percent capacity.
• Gyms and fitness centers, which were previously only permitted to operate outdoors, may now operate indoors at a maximum 10 percent capacity.
• Outdoor low-and-moderate contact youth sports such as baseball, softball, kickball, field hockey, volleyball and doubles tennis are allowed. High-contact outdoor sports such as basketball, football and soccer are also allowed if state guidelines are adhered to.
• Movie theaters will also be allowed to operate indoors at 25 capacity or a maximum of 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Schools will be permitted to open for in-person instruction while in this tier.
Brooke Fox, the executive director of the Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District, was thrilled about the county’s return to the red tier, especially when it came to local restaurants, which have operated on either a takeout model or by serving customers outdoors.
“They’ve been waiting for this for so long through this long, cold winter — at least a California winter,” she said. “It means a lot to them to welcome their customers back into their dining rooms.”
Kris Concepcion, the city’s fire chief and public information officer, was also happy.
“As the economy opens up and businesses are able to pick back up, it’s very exciting after all these restrictions,” he said.
Concepcion also said the latest announcement was an indication that the COVID-related numbers were headed in the right direction.
“The cases are getting less and less every day, as more people get vaccinated,” he said. “It’s extremely exciting that we’re able to move into the red tier, and I can’t wait until we don’t have any of these tiers anymore.”
John Vasquez, chair of the Solano County Board of Supervisors, said in an emailed statement the news marked the first time in the last year he feels he’s seen “a light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I am very pleased to see Solano County moved into the Red Tier today,” he wrote. “I am optimistic that our numbers will continue to decline, and we will proceed on this path of getting back to life as we knew it prior to this pandemic. I want to thank Dr. Matyas, our County Public Health Official, and his staff for their tireless work during this pandemic to educate the public and now as they vaccinate our residents.”
Bob Burris, president and CEO of Solano Economic Development Corporation, said the latest move would be a good stimulus for the local economy.
“It’s one more increment back to normalcy,” he said. “With increased demand and being able to bring people indoors to a degree, we think that there’s gonna be increased hiring (at) a lot of those businesses and/or increasing the hours to existing employees.”
Overall, Burris hopes that the hues of tiered system “continue to get lighter” for Solano.
The next tier for the county to reach is the orange tier, which can be attained through increased test positivity and additional metrics for two consecutive weeks.
“If Solano County residents and businesses continue to make progress in preventing COVID-19 transmission, additional business sectors and indoor activities can progressively begin to open, with modifications,” county officials wrote in a news release.
Doug Rodgers with the Vacaville Heritage Council welcomed the shift in tiers.
“It’ll be nice to get people back in the doors,” he said, of the office at 618 Main Street.
Reopening is bittersweet, he continued, because the closure allowed volunteers to rework the space, complete scanning projects and finish working on nearly eight rolls of microfilm.
Previously, it took about two years to finish digitizing one roll, he advised.
Meanwhile, research has kept them busy, as clients have focused on history projects during the lockdown, he said. As well, at least 60 contacts were made in a Facebook history group where members pledged access to their content, a huge boon to the historians.
On a lighter note, Rodgers looks forward to company, as he works alone a lot.
“I’m happy that I’ll be able to talk to someone other than myself,” he joked.
Bobbie Awwad, owner of Gourmet Exprezz, a Vacaville-based Greek and Mediterranean food eatery, expressed caution with the tier change and said she would not immediately offer indoor dining.
The last time, the change was quickly cut short, Awwad said, and the changes required to operate during that period were costly for the 16-year-old business.
“I’m just taking it easy and (will) see how it goes,” she shared. “I’ll make a decision after two-to-three weeks.”
In the interim, the takeout business hasn’t been great, she said, and perhaps the writing’s on the wall.
“I’m not sure I’m gonna last,” she emphasized. “Business is down 50%.”
Still, Awwad expressed love for her loyal customers and said she knows that many small business owners are in the same boat. She’s also hopeful.
“It’s all good,” she said. “Who knows what God will offer?”
Dulon Stevens with Fitness Explosion in Vacaville also expressed cautious optimism.
“It’s a good thing. Anything that moves forward is a good thing,” he said.
He remembers the last, brief stint in the red tier as well, and pointed out the costs that went toward the brief stay. They included safety precautions, cleaning services, special equipment, COVID-19-related posters and fliers and stickers.
“So now I’m gonna take my time, make the place safe for my clients,” he said.
Business has been steady in the purple tier, he said, as he switched to outdoor training when possible and also online fitness offerings. The continued business is a blessing, he said, as it shows he’s going in the right direction.
“People trust us,” he said. “We have followed the rules from Day 1.”
Social distancing and mask wearing and other safety protocols will remain in play until COVID-19 rules disappear, Stevens said. Priority one, he added, will always be the well-being of his staff and their clients.
“Let’s go,” he encouraged. “Let’s push forward and hope for the best.”
Check for corona-virusrelated updates at SolanoCounty.com/COVID19.