According to the Department of Public Health, the provinces of Solano and Alameda were cleared Tuesday to move to the red level, the second most restricted category of California’s reopening system.
On Wednesday, they will move from the most restricted press level in the reopening blueprint of the state and join the red provinces of San Francisco, Santa Clara, Napa, Marin and San Mateo.
Below the red level, indoor dining can be resumed with a capacity of 25% or 100 people. Indoor activities at museums, zoos and aquariums may reopen. Indoor gyms, climbing walls and a ‘soft’ indoor fitness – such as yoga and meditation – can reopen up to 10%. Funerals can also move inside with a capacity of 25%.
The continued reopening of the Bay Area comes as the 7-day positivity rate in California, a key measure, climbed to 2.8% on Tuesday, up from 2.2% a week earlier. Case numbers and hospitalizations across the state are also flat, with 2,614 newly confirmed cases and 171 deaths reported Tuesday. About 80% of the state’s population lives in provinces at the press level, indicating a high risk of infection.
Santa Cruz County also moves out of the purple level and into the red on Wednesday.
California’s level commands are based on daily cases of coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as its positive test count. To move to a less restrictive level, provinces must stay at their current level for at least three weeks, plus case studies and positive test scores that meet the next level criteria for two weeks.
Officials in Contra Costa and Sonoma, the last two out of nine provinces in the region expected to remain at the highest risk level, can expect to move to red by the end of the week, based on a new vaccine state measure .
California officials said last week they would loosen the criteria needed for provinces to move from level to level, linked to the number of low-income residents who have received vaccinations. The state has so far vaccinated about 1.8 million in that group. The relaxed criteria start when the group reaches 2 million, which according to officials could happen later this week, with another 4 million people’s rules.
Indoor shopping will still be allowed in the areas trapped in a press area with a capacity of 25%, but most other business activities will only remain outside until the move.
While most health departments in Bay Area Province have previously introduced more restrictive measures than required by state guidelines, Solano County will be in line with state policy with the latest movement.
“The decline in the number of cases is good news for our community as a whole, with local businesses now able to expand their operations,” Bela Matyas, the province’s director of health, said in a statement. “However, it is still critical for everyone to continue to practice health and safety measures.”
While the red level makes it possible to reopen museums, the Oakland Museum of California – which has been closed since March 12 last year – is geared toward spring or summer to re-enter visitors. Spokeswoman Lindsay Wright said the museum is undergoing a construction project in its gardens that will improve access from the Lake Merritt side of the property. It hopes to open when completed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that states not relieve restrictions too quickly.
“There is so much critical ride over the next two months,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the agency, told the National League of Cities on Monday. “How fast we are going to get vaccinated against whether we are going to have another boom depends on what happens in March and April.”
Chronicle staff writers Nora Mishanec and Michael Williams contributed to this report.
Aidin Vaziri and Matthias Gafni are writers of San Francisco Chronicle staff. Email: [email protected] [email protected]