San Bernardino County businesses can move closer to normal starting Wednesday, April 7, as the county moves into the orange tier of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan.
The transition from the red tier — which the county entered March 14, after months in the most-restrictive purple tier — comes thanks to a change in how the state calculates those tiers.
The consequences are the same. Among other changes, bars that don’t serve food can open outdoors, bowling alleys can open at 25% capacity, breweries and wineries can open indoors with modifications, and other businesses can increase their capacity.
Because 4 million people have now been vaccinated statewide in the most socioeconomically challenged areas, the state triggered new — easier — requirements to enter a new tier. San Bernardino County has been at the newly required rate — less than six new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents — for more than the required two weeks.
Also Tuesday, state official said the entire state should be able to resume pre-pandemic levels of operation starting June 15, as long as cases and hospitalizations remain stable until then.
