As of Sunday, the Bay Area will officially be red all over.
Contra Costa and Sonoma counties, the last two in the Bay Area to be stuck in the most restrictive, purple tier, will join their neighbors one step up in the red category of reopening, allowing for long-shuttered movie theaters and museums to resume operations at limited capacity, and for restaurants to offer indoor dining, subject to limitations.
The two counties are among 13 statewide that will advance this weekend out of the purple, the California Department of Public Health said Friday. An additional 13 counties still in the purple, including Sacramento and San Diego, are expected to advance to the red next Tuesday. That would leave just eight counties still at the lowest level of reopening, though some of are likely to graduate soon.
The changes in status are due to an update of the state's reopening criteria, which reduces the threshold to advance out of the purple tier — from seven COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people to 10 cases per 100,000.
Two million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to residents in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities, CDPH said, triggering the relaxation of the metrics required to move up in the tier system. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state had set aside 40% of its allotted vaccine doses for these areas.
“California is doubling down on its mission to keep equity a top priority as we continue to get COVID-19 doses into the arms of all Californians as safely and quickly as possible,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency, said in a statement. “Focusing on the individuals who have been hardest hit by this pandemic is the right thing to do and also ensures we are having the greatest impact in reducing transmission, protecting our health care delivery system and saving lives.”
These are some of the openings allowed in counties under the state's red tier, which indicates "substantial" risk of transmission:
- Indoor dining at restaurants (max 25% building capacity, up to 100 people)
- Indoor retail (max 50% store capacity)
- Indoor shopping centers (max 50% capacity but closed common areas)
- Museums, zoos and aquariums (max 25% capacity of facility)
- Movie theaters (max 25% capacity up to 100 people)
- Indoor gyms and fitness centers (max 10% capacity)
- Youth sports: Outdoor low- and moderate-contact sports are permitted; outdoor high-contact sports are also permitted, subject to state guidelines