REGION PUSHES AHEAD
Inland Empire: Businesses thrilled with easing of rules as most customers strive for normalcy
Welcome back to (relatively) normal, Inland Empire.
After 15 months grappling with the coronavirus, California reopened Tuesday with the lifting of most state restrictions put in place to defeat the deadly virus that has killed more than 63,000 in the state, including almost 10,000 in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and more than 24,000 in Los Angeles County.
Gone are rules requiring social distancing and indoor masks, though they’re still required for the non vaccinated. The rules and tiers, which varied depending on the virus’s spread in a county, forced many businesses to shut down, angered those who saw them as an overreaction and likely spurred petition signatures in the bid to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Now, as vaccinations helped curb the spread and virus cases and hospitalizations fall, the state turns to its next chapter, one that, for the most part, resembled a typical summer Inland weekday, albeit with optimism that the worst of the pandemic is behind.
Here’s a look at how reopening unfolded locally:
8 a.m.
At Oakmont Elementary School in Claremont, parents dropped off students who, for the first time since the pandemic began, won’t have to wear masks during recess.
Students were excited about the change.
“It’s just another step towards normalcy for these kids that have been through so much this year,” Principal Jenny Adams said.
The school wraps up instruction today, marking an end to a “whirlwind” year, Adams said.
Steve Archambalt, 44, had some hesitation dropping his son off without his mask. He waved goodbye from the school’s entrance to avoid worrying other parents and staff about his decision to go maskless.
People will have to “ease back” into a maskless society, which Archambalt said may take time.
“It’s a natural progression, but I’m fully vaccinated,” he said. “I feel ready.”
8:30 a.m.
At Orangetheory Fitness in Rancho Cucamonga, employees were getting ready for a “mask-optional” fitness class. Of the 23 class members, only two wore masks.
Some classes required masks, including Michael Wright’s. He’s been coming to Orangetheory since May 1, when masks were required and there were capacity limits.
“It’s a great feeling to be back with people I call my friends,” he said.
Orangetheory manager Phallynn Hill said the gym still requires masks for some classes “because not everyone is comfortable taking their masks off yet.”
“People have been so excited today,” Hill said. “They’ve been telling me they couldn’t wait to get back to normal.”
10 a.m.
Rancho Cucamonga resident Mary Tevis felt comfortable going into Ralphs
without a mask.
“I know we’re supposed to go back to normal today,” she said outside the Rancho Cucamonga supermarket. “But this is California and everyone is super cautious. So it’s going to be a while before we get there.”
A sign at the Ralphs entrance told vaccinated shoppers they didn’t need a mask.
Fontana resident Erin Roth said she was happy to take off her mask because she has been inoculated. But her 11-year-old daughter, Shay, will keep hers, Roth said.
“I feel fine, but I understand how a lot of people feel anxious about going back to how things were,” she said.
11:30 a.m.
At Metro Ale House in downtown Pomona, getting carded might take on a new meaning.
Vaccination cards for unmasked customers is being considered, bar manager James Merchant said.
“If someone wants to come into the bar without a mask, they have to show proof of their vaccination,” Merchant said Tuesday as the brewery opened. “It’s something that’s being discussed and my boss just wants to keep us safe.”
At the nearby Progress Gallery, visitors no longer need an appointment, a milestone director Yuntong Wu said will bring in more people.
“We’ve had the number
of visitors slowly and slowly go up recently, now we’re allowing people to just stop by,” Wu said. “It’s huge.”
11:35 a.m.
Bushfire Kitchen in Menifee had plenty of outdoor seating at the start of Tuesday’s lunch service.
Thror Oakenshield, Bushfire’s lead chef, said staff still must mask up per CalOSHA guidelines.
“I’m in front of the heat, so I would love to rip this thing off, but I feel safer,” he said. “We’re all just doing our part.”
Menifee residents Kathy Lyons, Joan Griffin and Sue Moore were happy to reunite for lunch. Though they’re vaccinated and happy to be together, the trio sat outside on the patio to be cautious.
The heat convinced Temecula resident John Thomas to sit inside.
“I’m not as concerned about the safety component,” he said. “We have to have faith, otherwise you’ll always live in fear. We have to trust in the system.”
Noon
At the Upland Library, kids listened to the librarian read “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” while their parents sang the song and mimicked hand motions.
On Tuesday, the library began its summer reading program with parents and children present for the first time since 2019, said Yuri Hurtado, library director. Patrons and employees wore
Shoppers walk to a fairly full parking lot at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside on Tuesday.
masks and sat socially distanced.
1:30 p.m.
At Lost Levels Video Game Shop + Arcade in Claremont, Amanda Munoz of Covina played Galaga.
“I set two new high scores,” she said.
Jonathan Gonzalez, a Lost Levels employee, said business was slow Tuesday afternoon.
“But on the weekends lots of people usually come and just hang out (in the Packing House mall).”
Owner Steven Torres said the store is abiding by CDC rules that classify his business as an entertainment venue, requiring employees and customers to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. Video game machines were sanitized between each use.
“We are being careful,” Torres said. “We are trying to get this businesses revived.”
2:30 p.m.
The sign at Harkins’ Mountain Grove 16 in Redlands asked theater-goers to wear masks, but the fine print noted it was optional for the fully vaccinated.
This was the first time Monica Diaz and her family have been to a movie theater, other than a drive-in, since the pandemic began.
“We’ve been wanting to come for a while,” she said.
Their last film was “Birds of Prey.”
“People were wearing masks even then,” said Diaz,
who saw “Cruella.”
Following state guidelines, masks are optional at Harkins Theatres for the fully vaccinated, a statement read. Proof of vaccination won’t be required and social distancing will remain.
3 p.m.
As some left masks behind Tuesday, they’re still required on the bus.
At the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside, drivers of several buses waited to pick up passengers on a scorching afternoon. Federal rules require masks on buses until September, but the Riverside Transit Agency on Tuesday opened to 100% seat capacity.
“Our customers are eager for more opportunities to travel, and it’s been a long time since we’ve had full buses,” said agency spokesperson Brad Weaver, who called it “one big step towards normalcy.”
Eloy Contreras, 21, who has been taking Route 1 to run errands and get around the city, was excited to get onboard.
“It’s not as packed,” Contreras said. “They took out the social distancing signs. It feels pretty safe to me.”
Mary Villa, 71, who rides the bus to and from her Riverside home weekly, said full capacity means she won’t “have to wait as long to get on.”
3:30 p.m.
Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino was as busy as any other warm afternoon.
Most still donned masks, inside and as they walked to their cars.
“It’s a good sign, but I’m still waiting for this to be over,” San Bernardino County resident Connor Rudolph, 19, said, pointing out that some aren’t vaccinated. “… I’ll still wear my mask for a while.”
About half of the stores had signs noting masks are required, though the state no longer requires them for vaccinated customers.
Stacey Traylor, a 42-yearold Upland resident, said she’s only gone to the mall for necessities, but said things were busier Tuesday than she’s seen.
“I think everyone wants to get out,” Traylor said.
Most were masked and
didn’t seem to think about social distancing as they sat next to her to try on shoes.
“It does make me nervous, because you don’t know, are they vaccinated?”
4:30 p.m.
At La Michoacána in Moreno Valley, the sign on the window says masks are required. But owner Tony Andrade said it will be coming down along with those at the other five ice cream shops.
His shops thrived during the pandemic, Andrade said.
“It was busier than ever, other than the first week when people were freaking out.”
Now he expects that the end of most restrictions will bring a minor bump in business.
“Some customers would get upset when we wouldn’t serve them without a mask and then leave,” he said.
6 p.m.
Though heartened by the state’s reopening, Jeffrey O’Brien, 41, is still only comfortable eating outside.
So he met with Nancy Milton, 78, outdoors on a warm evening at Caprice Cafe in Redlands.
“We didn’t go out at all until a month ago,” said O’Brien, which is when the Hemet resident became fully vaccinated. “That’s when I switched from an N95 mask to this (cloth mask) and started going out, but still just outside. I’m easing in.”
Caprice Cafe can seat 92 people, and every seat is full, owner Chris Pepino said.
“It’s wonderful to see our regulars again and see people walk in without a mask,” Pepino said.
Redlands resident Ernesto Gomez, 47, was comfortable enough to eat inside the cafe with five friends as he celebrated his 29th anniversary.
“This is a great day to celebrate,” he said, because the restaurant is able to seat far more people now that the 6-foot social distancing rule is gone.