The California Department of Public Health Tuesday loosened COVID-19 restrictions in nine California counties, including Butte and Plumas. The State’s color-coded reopening plan, known as the blueprint for a safer economy, places counties in four tiers — purple, red, orange, and yellow. Purple is the most restrictive tier and yellow is the least restrictive.
Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Imperial, Santa Cruz, and Solano counties were all promoted to the red tier. Mariposa and Plumas counties were promoted to the orange tier and Alpine County was promoted to the yellow tier.
In Plumas County, the move to the orange tier will allow bars that do not serve food to open outdoors. Offices can also reopen with some modifications and no capacity restrictions. A complete list of activities now allowed is available at covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.
Butte County’s move to the red tier allows restaurants and movie theaters to open indoors at 25 percent capacity or with less than 100 people, whichever is fewer. It will also allow more recreational sports to resume.
In a press release sent Tuesday, Butte County Public Health encouraged residents to remain vigilant as the loosened restrictions come after a more contagious variant of the coronavirus has been detected locally.
“While this is an encouraging move in the right direction, the more contagious B117 variant of the Coronavirus has been identified in Butte County. There is evidence that this variant may be more severe,” officials wrote in the release. “It is vital that we all continue to follow guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and all its variants."
The tier change goes into effect in Butte and Plumas counties Wednesday, March 10 at midnight.