SANTA ANA (CNS) – Orange County was upgraded Tuesday from the state’s purple to red tier, allowing many businesses and churches to reopen at reduced capacity. As a reminder, Orange County needs to get to the yellow “minimal” tier for Disneyland to reopen its gates. Effective immediately under order of Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the County of Orange was moved into the Purple Tier, the state’s most restrictive tier. The county … “It was like ‘Groundhog Day,’” Nye said, referring to the 1993 movie that stars Bill Murray, about a man who lives the same day over and over again. Tuolumne County was moved to the purple tier and Calaveras County to the moderate orange tier. Orange County is currently ranked in the most restrictive tier of the California Department of Public Health’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy Tier system.In the past few weeks Orange County had been assigned a less restrictive Red-tier, however, due to a surge in coronavirus cases throughout California, the county has moved back into the purple-tier. The state is pulling an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy resulting in 94.1… Gavin Newsom announced on Nov. 16 that most California counties, including Orange County, are immediately moving to the Purple Tier. Gyms were closed in the purple tier and allowed to reopen at 10% indoor capacity in the red tier. Red (Tier 2) indicates “substantial” incidence, while orange (Tier 3) indicates “moderate” and yellow (Tier 4) indicates “minimal” incidence of the virus in the county. Download it here. “We messaged them yesterday,” said Pamela Waitt, the president of the Orange County Restaurant Association. Each color-coded level – purple, red, orange, and yellow – lays out guidelines and allows for the reopening or expanding of certain non-essential businesses. I can make $15,000 profit but it’s not easy.”. Schools in the Widespread (purple) tier aren’t permitted to reopen for in-person instruction, unless they receive a waiver from their local health department for grades TK-6. It felt like the end of the world,” said Nye, who oversees The Deck on Laguna Beach, and Driftwood Kitchen and Oyster Bar restaurants in Laguna Beach. SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County will likely fall back into the purple tier of the state’s reopening map, county CEO Frank Kim said Friday. “We’re going to be forced again to furlough or lay off employees right before Thanksgiving and right before Christmas with no federal aid in sight. This meant specific business sectors that were closed or operating with some modifications could reopen or expand their operations. Within the state’s shift back into the Purple Tier for COVID-19 monitoring, businesses like movie theaters and places of worship will need to cease all indoor operations. I have three Regal Cinemas. Following yesterday’s statewide COVID-19 metric update, 51 total California counties are in the purple tier, up from 41 counties the week prior. “There are a lot of bars and restaurants that are squeaking back and some [restaurants] still haven’t made it. “We’re going to still be in the red tier tomorrow,” Orange County CEO Frank Kim told City News Service on Tuesday. Still, he is frustrated with all of the investments to his indoor dining room, just to see it possibly close again by the state. We’ll do what we can to support all of our tenants but we can only do so much. “What can we do?” Serato said. We might see a lot of closures. There are now 51 counties in the purple tier after Tuesday’s updates. Purple is the most restrictive, while yellow the least restrictive. As Orange County returns to ‘purple’ tier, Heroes Hall at O.C. “That’s all we can do,” Waitt said. Serato said the pandemic had hit restaurants and the hospitality industry as a whole the hardest. What counties are in the purple tier? On Sunday, Nov. 15, Orange County Health Agency reported 639 new COVID-19 cases with two deaths. Orange County had moved into the less-restrictive red tier on Sept. 8, which allowed the Capistrano Unified School District to open its … This is strange times.”. To find out what the switch means for different business sectors, click here. “The data for next Tuesday, though, shows we’re right on the edge. The county has had 80,551 cumulative cases to date. All of Southern California counties are now in the "purple tier" of Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID reopening framework. Gov. OCBJ Publisher Richard Reisman and OC Business Leaders, CA Unveils Stricter COVID-19 Monitoring System, OC Heads for Next COVID-19 Reopening Tier. “It’s heartbreaking. With indoor dining in the county prohibited in the first five months of the pandemic, Nye set up a grocery store in the middle of his restaurants and placed a heavy emphasis on take-out orders, just to survive financially. Every Tuesday, state health officials assign each county a tier under the state’s four-tier color-coded system that monitors coronavirus cases. Orange County is on the cusp of moving back to the state's restrictive tier if coronavirus cases continue to spike, Restaurateurs are concerned about having to close indoor operations again if the county moves to purple tier, Orange County's coronavirus cases have been rising, If Orange County moves backward, it will take at least 21 days before it can move back to a less restrictive tier, 2020 Holiday Shopping Will Start Earlier, Include Masks as Stocking Stuffers, Theme Park Closures Impact SoCal Businesses, Disney Announces Furloughs as Theme Parks Remain Shuttered, Despite Coronavirus Pandemic and Hotel Industry Struggles, Newport Beach Marriott Sold for $200 Million, California Consumer Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Some restaurants are on the brink of bankruptcy. There are no answers. New tiered system emphasizes slower reopening approach. With Orange County on the cusp of moving backward from red to the state’s most restrictive purple tier under California’s coronavirus monitoring system, which means prohibiting indoor dining again, restaurateurs across the county are bracing for the possibility of a very long hard winter. Purple represents counties with widespread Covid-19, red reflects areas with a substantial number of cases, orange is the moderate tier, and yellow reflects areas with a minimal number of cases. On Nov. 24 the state had 41 counties in purple, 11 counties in red, four in orange, two in yellow. It’s awful.”. The county remains in a tier level for a minimum of three weeks and must meet the health metrics in the least restrictive tier for two consecutive weeks before it can advance to the next tier. But now, with the move backwards to the most restrictive purple tier, Orange County schools that had already reopened while in the red tier or with a waiver can remain open, according to a … He’s ordered a tent and heaters to prepare for the colder months. Now, we’ll be operating with both arms behind our backs and no aid.”. “It was the worst. “All of the restaurateurs in Orange County are in limbo.”. Can my school open under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy? If the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in Orange County, Orange County could join them next week. Orange County had been in the slightly less-restrictive “red” tier of the four-level matrix but was anticipated to fall back to “purple” due to the rising daily case numbers. Orange County -- … The move to the purple tier comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom said that a county will move back in tier color after one week of bad data as opposed to two weeks of poor numbers. “What can we do?” Sigal said. On Wednesday, the Orange County Restaurant Association notified its more than 800 members to start planning and preparing in case the county regresses next week. “Let us run our own business. San Diego, Sacramento, and Stanislaus County fell back from the red tier to purple. SANTA ANA (CNS) - Orange County was upgraded Tuesday from the state's purple to red tier, allowing many businesses and churches to reopen at reduced capacity. Orange County had been in the slightly less-restrictive "red" tier of the four-level matrix, which allowed more businesses to operate at increased capacities, and allowed restaurants to offer indoor dining. The state had previously been providing a tier and metrics update each Tuesday; now tiers can be reassigned at any time. They’ve spent a lot of money to make it safe and have limited indoor operations. Go here for more updates on how OC companies are responding to coronavirus. By Zach Cavanagh. Effective immediately under order of Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the County of Orange was moved into the Purple Tier, the state's most restrictive tier.Impacted industries and activities in Orange County will have 24 hours in which to comply with this action and make necessary modifications. As of Monday, 28 counties — including Orange County — are being moved back to the most restrictive tier of California's matrix governing business operations. This is the time for many of them to financially recoup some of their losses. The holidays are usually the busiest times. Our new Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Nye, the owner of the Laguna Beach restaurants, has been working with his landlord to increase his restaurants’ outdoor offering. Only one county is in the orange, or third tier, while five counties are in tier 2, or the red tier. 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