The following information was issued at 12:14 p.m. today from the Santa Cruz County Health Department….
Effective Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Santa Cruz County will move into the Orange Tier based on improving COVID-19 transmission rates here.
Under the Orange Tier, economic restrictions will be further lifted and additional sectors will be all owed to resume operations. Retail establishments may now operate at full capacity, while restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters and museums may increase indoor operations to 50 percent of capacity. Please refer to sector-specific guidance at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy for additional information.
Bars, breweries and distilleries may resume outdoor operations, wineries may resume indoor operations at 25 percent capacity or 100 people (whichever is fewer), and gyms and fitness centers may increase indoor capacity from 10 percent to 25 percent. Indoor pools may also open.
Previously restricted sectors such as amusement parks, indoor entertainment centers such as bowling alleys, and live-audience outdoor events may open with modifications. On April 1, amusement parks may allow all in-state visitors, though capacity will remain limited to 25 percent.
While transmission rates locally look positive and the County remains a leader in per capita vaccinations within the state, coronavirus cases are increasing globally and the B.1.1.7 variant has recently been found within Santa Cruz County. Vaccinated and unvaccinated residents are advised to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing while in public.
For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, call 211 or text “COVID19” to 211211.
