Orange Tier For Riverside County Next Month? Very Possible

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Now that Riverside County has progressed into the state’s “red tier,” when can the region move to the less restrictive orange tier?

Under the red-tier status that officially begins Wednesday, restaurants and movie theaters can officially return to indoor operations up to 25 percent capacity or 100 people (whichever is fewer). Museums, zoos and aquariums can return to indoor activities up to 25 percent capacity. Gyms and fitness centers can go back inside up to 10 percent capacity. Retail stores and shopping malls can increase capacity to 50 percent. Schools with approved safety plans can fully reopen. (Click here to see the full list of what is allowed under the red tier.)

According to state and local officials, Riverside County will need to remain in the red tier for a minimum of three weeks and meet the orange tier metrics for two of those weeks before advancing further in the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Unless things change, the state will continue to eye the county’s COVID-19 case rate, positivity rate and health equity metric to assess progress. The following shows the state’s current tiering system and the thresholds of each:

As of Tuesday, the county’s adjusted case rate was 6.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents (red tier); the positivity rate was 3.3 percent (orange tier); and the health equity positivity quartile rate was 3.7 percent (orange tier), according to state data.

For now, the only state metric holding Riverside County back from the orange tier is its case rate. If the county continues to track — the local case rate has fallen by half over the last two weeks — it's possible RivCo will be orange in April. Here’s what will reopen if that happens, according to the state's latest "Blueprint for a Safer Economy - Activity and Business Tiers":

• The capacity limitation on retail, shopping centers and swap meets goes away
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums can increase indoor capacity to 50 percent
• Movie theaters can increase indoor capacity to 50 percent or 200 people, whichever is fewer
• Gyms and fitness centers can reopen pools and increase indoor workout areas to 25 percent capacity
• Hotels and lodging facilities can reopen pools and their indoor fitness centers can increase to 25 percent capacity
• Indoor dining at restaurants can increase to 50 percent capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer
• Wineries, breweries and distilleries can begin welcoming patrons indoors at 25 percent capacity, or 100 people, whichever is fewer
• Bars can open outdoors
• Family entertainment centers can reopen indoors up to 25 percent capacity
• Bowling alleys can reopen up to 25 percent capacity
• Cardrooms and satellite wagering can resume indoors at 25 percent capacity
• Offices can bring workers back but telecommuting will be strongly encouraged
• Outdoor sporting events, concerts, live entertainment — effective April 1, in-state crowds will be allowed up to 33 capacity; 25 percent capacity per box suite; for smaller venues, 67 percent capacity will be allowed if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination
• Amusement parks can welcome in-state visitors up to 25 percent capacity (no matter the size of the venue); indoor capacity will be limited to 25 percent with time restrictions

In order to get the orange tier, officials continue urging Riverside County residents to follow safety protocols (masks, hand washing, distancing), get tested for the virus, and get vaccinated as eligibility allows.

“We’ve waited a long time for more of our local businesses to increase operations or return to serving more customers indoors. Many businesses were negatively impacted beyond what we thought possible,” said Board Chair Karen Spiegel, Riverside County Second District Supervisor. “Today’s news about moving into the red tier is a positive and hopeful sign of more great things to come. If we continue to work together, we can keep this momentum going. We can reopen safely and continue to see our numbers fall, if we all do our part to keep coronavirus at bay.”