Ventura County Could Enter Yellow Tier On June 2
VENTURA (CBSLA) — Ventura County has qualified for the state's least restrictive yellow tier, and may be able to move out of the orange tier as soon as June 2.
The county's adjusted case rates have dropped to 1.5 new cases per 100,000 people, from 2.4, and the overall test positivity rate has dropped from 1% to .7%, according to Ventura County public health officials.
If it can maintain those numbers for another week, Ventura County will be able to move into the yellow tier of the state's schedule of reopening by June 2. Moving into the yellow tier would allow the county to increase capacity at businesses, gyms and fitness centers, museums, and allow bars to begin providing indoor service at 25% capacity.
"This is especially great news for our business community. Expanded capacity will help impacted businesses as we head into the summer months," county Executive Officer Mike Powers said in a statement.
To date, 81,257 positive cases of COVID have been identified across Ventura County, which has seen 1,017 deaths. The county currently has 10 people hospitalized with COVID, three of whom are in the intensive care unit.
Currently, only Los Angeles and Orange counties are in the state's yellow tier. However, thanks to dropping case rates across the state, public officials plan to shelve the tiered schedule of reopening on June 15, and allow the businesses to fully reopen.