Sacramento County COVID-19 risk downgraded. What it means for restaurants, schools, theaters

Restaurants in Sacramento County can finally spread out the tablecloths for indoor dining, thus ending a difficult, coronavirus-forced six months of mothballed tables stacked unused against dining room walls. Movie theaters will be permitted to open indoor spaces at limited capacity. So will houses of worship and fitness centers.

State health officials announced Tuesday that Sacramento’s coronavirus cases have dropped sufficiently over the past two weeks to allow the county to be recategorized into the state’s growing group of “red tier” counties, which allows for expanded indoor business for a handful of industries.

County health officials said the changes will go into effect at 3 p.m. today.

That includes restaurant indoor seating at up to 25% of capacity.

The county’s new status also allows schools to reopen for on-site classes in two weeks. Some private schools have been doing so already under a special waiver program from the county. It is unclear though how many large public school districts will be ready and willing to allow large groups of students back into classes.

The tier-switch and reopenings reflect trend lines that show the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations dropping consistently in Sacramento County from a peak in late July.

Officials attribute those case reductions to a stronger focus on mask-wearing and a decision by the state and counties to close down some businesses that had been allowed to reopen in May, including shopping malls and restaurants.

In particular, the rate of positive coronavirus tests in Sacramento County has dropped below 5% for two weeks, and the number of new cases per 100,000 residents has dropped below seven. Together, those two data points allow Sacramento to move out of the most restrictive tier, the purple tier, state officials said.

The county nevertheless has continued to register more than 100 new cases on some days.

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The rule change could prompt more restaurants to open. Some restaurants have offered outdoor dining in recent months, but many have kept their doors closed due to a state ban on indoor dining.

Notably, though, restaurants in red tier counties are only allowed to reopen 25% of their indoor occupancy maximum, including staff, for now. County officials say they are hoping Sacramento can keep its momentum going so that it can dip into the state’s “orange tier” by the end of October. That would allow restaurants to expand to 50% of indoor dining.

Sacramento County health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said the county will change its local order as of this afternoon, likely at around 3 p.m., to allow for the new openings, which also include allowances for movie theaters and religious services to be open at 25% of indoor capacity, and for gyms to be open indoors at 10% capacity.

Dana Fleischman, general manager of Fitness Rangers, a gym in East Sacramento, said he was glad to get the news, but that the requirement to operate at 10% capacity will be difficult.

”That’ll be tough but hopefully it’ll be kind of a step in the right direction,” Fleischman said.

The gym has been offering about 80 classes a week outdoors and and will likely soon offer a mix of indoors and outdoors, he said.

Beilenson said county officials are asking restaurants and patrons to only dine indoors with people from their own household. The county is OK with people dining outdoors with non-household members, he said.

“There are some concerns from (Centers for Disease Control) data that indoor restaurant dining is a bit dangerous,” Beilenson said. “We are fine with outdoor dining being folks who are not in your family bubble. Indoor dining should be (household) family members only.”

Around the region, many restaurateurs were moving quickly to prepare their dining rooms. Denise Shelton said she would reopen her 41-year-old south Sacramento diner The Pitts Stop – which has been outdoor-only and takeout-only since July – on Wednesday morning.

“I can’t wait to get back indoors,” Shelton said. “I’ve got a lot of regulars and they bellyache about having to go outside, but we kick ‘em on out anyway.”

Among other changes involved the red tier status:

▪ Retail establishments can move from 25% capacity to 50% capacity.

▪ Museums, zoos and aquariums can allow 25% capacity indoors. Personal care services such as body waxing are allowed indoors.

▪ For places of worship, the new rules allow for a maximum 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

▪ Shopping centers, including malls and swap meets, can open to 50% capacity and must have reduced capacity at food courts. Prior restrictions meant those businesses could only up to 25% capacity.