California announced Friday that it has administered more than 2 million vaccine doses to people in vulnerable low-income zip codes, enabling provinces like San Diego to reopen activities more quickly.
With the equity calculation, the criteria for a province within levels of the state’s color-coded reopening plan are more easily achieved. California expects San Diego to meet the new reopening criteria by Tuesday, meaning the province will move from the most restrictive purple level to the red level as soon as Wednesday.
San Diego County is expected to move into the Red Tier on March 16, with changes taking effect the next day.
What is California’s benchmark for vaccine equity?
Government Gavin Newsom announced last week that he would set aside 40% of the vaccine for residents of about 400 zip codes that the state considers most vulnerable, based on criteria such as household income, access to health care and education levels.
The point is to commit reopening standards to ensure that the people most affected by the pandemic are protected from the virus. Although race and ethnicity are not explicit factors in the designation of vaccinations, the zip codes heavily overlap with neighborhoods with a higher population of residents who are Black, Latino and Asian and Pacific, officials said.
In August, California adopted a four-level color-coded system that determines how much activity should be allowed in each state. New assignments will be announced on Tuesdays.
Previously, provinces could move from the most restricted press level to the lower red level, based on statistics, including the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day over a few weeks. The threshold to enter the red level will move from 7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 10 cases.
What can be reopened in San Diego?
Once San Diego County begins in the red level of California’s reopening blueprint, restrictions on restaurants, gyms and other businesses and activities will begin to pick up.
Many industries have been out of business since last summer, but from next Wednesday, indoor operations could resume for San Diego restaurants, gyms museums and more.
A move to the red level means that eateries can once again offer indoor eateries with 25% or 100 people – whichever is less. The same goes for movie theaters. Museums, zoos, aquariums can change indoor operations with change, including 25% capacity. And gyms will be able to reopen indoors with a capacity of 10%.
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A move to the red level means that eateries can once again offer indoor eateries with 25% or 100 people – whichever is less. The same goes for movie theaters. Museums, zoos, aquariums can change indoor operations with change, including 25% capacity. And gyms will be able to reopen indoors with a capacity of 10%.
In addition, schools that previously needed waiver to reopen personal education no longer need to apply, but changes need to be made.
Indoor retail can increase their capacity from 25% to 50%.
While San Diego may be eligible to go into a less restricted level, that does not automatically mean the move will take place, but a San Diego County spokesman said: “We are pleased with the direction we are heading. is hoping to make a move next week. ‘
There are also some reopening changes starting on April 1st. Since San Diego will be in the red level by that time, live outdoor events such as sports games and live music can accommodate guests up to 20% compared to less than 100 people in the press level.
Also from April 1, amusement parks in counties in guests can have a capacity of up to 15%, even at their indoor facilities, although indoor eateries must remain closed.
This week, the state also announced new rules for pubs and breweries, which are largely closed if they do not serve food. From Saturday, breweries and distilleries that do not serve food can open outside in both purple and red levels. According to the state guidance, patrons at as well as wineries must make reservations and limit their stay to 90 minutes and that the service must end until 20:00. Pubs that do not serve food can only open in the orange level.
What comes next?
Once the state fires 4 million shots in these neighborhoods, officials say they will update criteria for the next orange and yellow levels.
“Although we have reached a milestone today, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that we can put an end to this pandemic,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and public health official. “We must all do our part by being vaccinated as soon as it is our turn and continuing to wear masks and exercise physical distance to keep our communities safe.”
About half of the state’s 58 provinces have now left the strictest restrictions, allowing limited dining space inside and the opening of cinemas and gyms.
California officials are considering seeing what things will look like in the country with the largest population once millions of people are vaccinated and phasing out restrictions on meetings and businesses that have changed lives in a year.
When officials last summer designed the four-level, yellow-to-purple system that California now uses to decide whether people can eat indoors, go to the movies or hang out with friends, they did not include a green level – an acknowledgment that a return to normalcy after the pandemic was far. The government of Govin Newsom is now preparing to add one.
“The likelihood of you hitting the green level is probably sooner than some of us thought when we looked at summer and fall,” said Dr. California Gov. Mark Ghaly said Thursday.
Government officials rely on a complex formula, including virus spread, to determine what activities are restricted in each province.
But a green name does not mean “go” for all things. Ghaly said such a label still means wearing masks and staying physically far away. He declined in an interview to offer more details about what restrictions would be maintained or to provide a threshold for vaccinations the state hopes to meet to give such permission.
Earlier Thursday, the state director of public health, dr. Tomas Aragón, predicts that California can achieve herd immunity when about 75% of the population is vaccinated, although this may change as the virus mutates.