These Watsonville Businesses Can Open; County Now In Orange Tier

WATSONVILLE, CA — Improving COVID-19 transmission rates will allow more Santa Cruz County businesses and establishments to reopen and operate under fewer restrictions.

The state moved Santa Cruz County into the less-strict orange tier Tuesday, which is the second-best tier and represents moderate risk in California's four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk assessment system. Changes will go into effect at midnight.

The county said in a news release that local COVID-19 illness and vaccination statistics are looking positive, but people should continue to wear masks and social distance in public, even if they have been vaccinated. Coronavirus cases are on the rise globally and the B.1.1.7 variant of concern — first found in the United Kingdom — has been identified here.

Indoor capacity can continue to grow at various businesses such as stores and restaurants. And on Thursday, Santa Cruz's iconic boardwalk rides will reopen to guests.

Read more: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Prepares To Reopen

Here are some of the services that may resume Wednesday, with safety modifications:

• Hair salons, barbershops, personal care services.
• Indoor dining (50 percent maximum capacity indoors or 200 people; whichever is lower).
• Indoor shopping centers (no common areas, reduced capacity food courts).
• Worship houses (50 percent maximum capacity indoors).
• Fitness centers (25 percent maximum capacity indoors).
• Indoor pools, climbing walls.
• Movie theaters (50 percent maximum capacity indoors or 200 people, whichever is lower).
• Museums, zoos, aquariums (50 percent maximum capacity indoors).
• Wineries, breweries distilleries (no reservations or 90-minute time limit requirements, and must serve a maximum 25 percent capacity indoors or 100 people, whichever is lower).
• Bars without food (open outdoors only).
• Family entertainment centers (bowling alleys OK; can open indoors at maximum 25 percent capacity for distanced activities).
• Gatherings: Indoor strongly discouraged, but allowed with masks and social distancing and a maximum of three households.

See the full list here.

Santa Cruz County was among eight counties that made the move out of the red tier and into the orange tier. Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Los Angeles, Modoc, Orange and Tuolumne also made the switch.

There have been 15,354 COVID-19 cases reported in Santa Cruz County since the beginning of the pandemic, including 198 active cases and 200 deaths.

Santa Cruz County is among the leading California counties when it comes to the per capita vaccination rate, the county said. Nearly 65,000 vaccine doses have been distributed here.

Find out if you qualify and how to schedule an appointment here.