Reopening: Napa County Enters Orange Tier, Wineries Can Resume Indoor Operations
NAPA (CBS SF) -- Napa County became the latest in the Bay Area and the first in the North Bay to enter the Orange Tier under the state's reopening plan, allowing for expanded indoor business operations, health officials said Tuesday.
County officials said more capacity would be allowed for indoor dining, religious services, movie theaters and other industries with modifications and in accordance with the state's guidelines.
Starting on Wednesday, restaurants in Napa County can have indoor dining at up to 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer. For wineries in the famed wine growing region, indoor operations are allowed at up to 25 percent or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
Additional details can be found on the county's website.
Health officials said in a statement that Napa County has met the Orange Tier status for one week with a test positivity rate of 1.7% per 100,000 population, adjusted case rate of 3.6 new positive cases per day per 100,000, and a health equity test positivity rate of 2.1% per 100,000.
"I want to thank our residents and visitors for their diligence in helping fight this pandemic," County Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio said in a statement. "I am keenly aware of the sacrifices so many have made to help get us to this next tier."
Relucio went on to say that she was optimistic that the county can continue progressing if residents remain vigilant through the holidays.
Meanwhile, neighboring counties continue to remain under stricter COVID-19 restrictions. Lake, Yolo and Solano counties are staying in the Red Tier, which caps indoor dining and religious services at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. Indoor retail operations are also capped at 50 percent capacity.
Sonoma County to the west of Napa remains in the most restrictive Purple Tier, which keeps most indoor business operations closed, including indoor dining.
Other Bay Area counties in the Orange Tier include Alameda and Santa Clara counties, but both have opted to keep some additional limits in place. Indoor operations at Santa Clara County restaurants, movie theaters and houses of worship remain at 25% or 100 people. Meanwhile, Alameda plans to reopen indoor dining, worship services and theaters later this month.
Also on Tuesday, San Francisco was moved from the Orange Tier to the Yellow Tier, becoming the first major city in California to move to the lowest level of COVID-19 restrictions.