L.A. County officially moves into the Red Tier.
After the state’s new vaccination metric of 2 million doses was met on Friday, L.A. County is now able to move from the most restrictive Purple Tier to the Red Tier in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework. L.A. County Public Health Department has already released a set of reopening guidelines since the county has met the requirement of fewer than 10 infections per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks.
The news was confirmed by Los Angeles County today with indoor operations to resuming on Monday, March 15 at 12:01 am.
LA County has met the state’s threshold to reopen key sectors in line with the red tier, allowing significant sectors to reopen their indoor operations on Monday, March 15 at 12:01 AM.
Learn more: https://t.co/cQVeIZt851
Thread (1/4) pic.twitter.com/nCxAck1Wts
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) March 12, 2021
This means major activities such as indoor dining, in-person classes, indoor movie screenings and personal care services can begin again with capacity restrictions. Looking ahead (if Angelenos continue to hold it together), on April 1, Red Tier counties will be able to enjoy theme parks and sporting arenas again. Further down the line, bars will be able to reopen for outdoor service without needing to offer meals.
While the county is aligned with the state’s health and safety measures, there are additional requirements for certain sectors. Here are the activities that will be permitted once L.A. County moves into the Red Tier and the respective guidelines:
- Restaurants can open indoors at 25% max capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; one household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible ventilation has been increased. Public Health strongly recommends that all restaurant employees interacting with customers indoors are provided with additional masking protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be fit tested N95 masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield. In addition, Public Health strongly recommends that all employees working indoors are informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated. Outdoor dining can accommodate up to six people per table from 3 different households.
- Indoor Shopping Malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
- Museum, Zoos and Aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity.
- Gyms, Fitness Centers, Yoga and Dance Studios can open indoors at 10% capacity with masking required for all indoor activities.
- Movie Theatres can open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
- Retail and Personal Care Services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
- Institutes of Higher Education can re-open all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester.
- Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives.
- Private gatherings can occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing.
It’s been a long year, but things are starting to look up!
Featured Image: Owen Lystrup via Unsplash