Three counties enter orange reopening tier

The less restrictive tier opens up lots of activities, but health experts urge caution

More of the Bay Area will reopen for business and leisure activities this week as San Francisco, Marin County and Santa Clara County progress from the state’s red to orange tier, indicating COVID-19 infection levels have fallen from substantial to moderate levels.

The tier changes become effective Wednesday.

“A very large number of activities are reopening,” San Francisco officials said in a statement. “While the decline in cases is encouraging, variants remain a concern and San Francisco is continuing to take health precautions as it reopens. We are aligning with the state’s guidelines as much as possible but will add specific safeguards to minimize the risk of the virus spreading.”

Under the less restrictive orange tier, indoor dining, cafes, and food courts may open at either of 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less, and may allow tables of up to 6 people from up to 3 households. Service hours may be expanded to 11 p.m. and live entertainment including singing and wind or brass instruments would be allowed. Museums, zoos and other venues could also open at larger capacity 50% capacity.

The only Bay Area county that was already in the orange tier Tuesday morning was San Mateo.

The earliest Alameda County can progress to the orange tier is March 31 and the soonest Contra Costa County could reach that level is April 4, county health officials said. Santa Cruz County also must wait until at least March 31. Sonoma, Solano and Napa counties also remain in the red tier.

Statewide, eight of California’s 58 counties, mostly in the Central Valley, remain in the state’s most restrictive purple tier for widespread outbreaks, while Kern, Nevada and Stanislaus moved down to the red tier, which now has 39 counties.

In addition to San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin and Santa Clara counties, Yolo, Trinity, Lassen, Plumas and Mariposa counties are in the orange tier. Sierra County joined Alpine as the only two in the least restrictive yellow tier for minimal infections Tuesday.

San Francisco officials said preliminarily that the move to the orange tier will mean that bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries can open for outdoor, seated table service of up to 6 people per table, even without any food orders.

“Our approach continues to focus on expanding outdoor activities as much as possible as a safer environment than indoors,” city officials said in a statement.

In addition to indoor cafe and restaurant dining, indoor retail, shopping centers, retail services, laundromats, dry cleaners, banks, auto repair, personal services and equipment rental in San Francisco may expand to 50% capacity as well. Indoor gyms may expand to 25% capacity including showers and locker rooms and aerobic group classes may open at 25% capacity or up to 100 people. Hotels may also open dining and fitness facilities.

Museums, zoos, and aquariums in the city also may open to 50% capacity indoors, with outdoor capacity restrictions removed. Indoor movie theaters may open at either 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less, and may open seated concessions for groups of audience members of up to 6 people from up to 3 households as long as there is 6 feet of distance between them and other audience members.

Offices may reopen for in person work schedules of up to 25% capacity and maintaining 25% capacity in conference and meeting rooms, though the city continues to encourage telecommuting where possible. Employers with fewer than 20 employees do not need a capacity limit but must reduce capacity necessary to maintain 6 feet of distancing between workers.

Outdoor organized and supervised arts, music, and theater performances and festivals may open for up to 50 people maintaining social distancing between audience members from different households, while food and concessions may be allowed for groups of up to 6 people that are at least 6 feet apart from others.

San Francisco officials added that according to the state’s current guidelines, outdoor spectator sports and live entertainment can reopen for audiences from up to 120 miles away up to 20% capacity. As of April 1, the state’s guidelines will expand to allow outdoor spectator sports and live entertainment to reopen for in-state audiences up to 33% capacity.

San Francisco officials said they “are actively working to create local guidelines that incorporate the state’s guidance on this issue.”