Orange County returns to the Red Tier on Sunday, March 14

Santa Ana, Calif. (March 12, 2021) –Today the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced that 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Californians in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities, increasing immunity where the state’s transmission rates and disease burden have been the highest during the pandemic. With this equity metric met, and because vaccines slow the spread of disease and serious illness, the previously announced update to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to account for progress with vaccine administration goes into effect. Effective Sunday, March 14, Orange County will move into the Red Tier the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy after having met Red Tier metrics.

As a result, many local businesses and activities in Orange County will either be allowed to expand capacity or resume operations. Please visit the State’s website at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/, enter Orange in the County field and business or activity of interest in the Activity field and click the Get Latest Risk Levels button to view its status under the Red Tier. As an additional resource, residents may visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Dimmer-Framework-September_2020.pdf for the activities and businesses that are permitted under each Tier by the State.

In addition, CDPH announced that beginning on Saturday, March 13, breweries, wineries and distilleries that do not serve meals may open outdoors only with modifications in the Purple (widespread) and Red (substantial) tiers. The modifications include ensuring that patrons have reservations and patrons observe a 90-minute time limit. Service for on-site consumption must end by 8 p.m. The updated guidance does not apply to breweries, wineries and distilleries that provide meals. Those establishments should continue to follow the restaurant guidance. However, bars that do not serve meals must remain closed in the Purple and Red tiers.

Beginning June 1, overnight sleepaway camps will be allowed to resume with modifications in the Red, Orange and Yellow tiers.

For questions related to COVID-19, visit http://www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus, or follow the HCA on Facebook (@ochealthinfo) and Twitter (@ochealth).