It’s official: California’s regional lockdown has been lifted.
On Monday, reports circulated that Governor Gavin Newsom was expected to end the state’s current stay-at-home orders and now, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed the news. This news will apply to all regions statewide including the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.
Now all counties will return to the state’s multi-tiered system which places each county into color-coded tiers to show which businesses and activities can open based on local case rates and positive test results for coronavirus infections. The majority of the state’s 58 counties will be placed under the “widespread” risk tier, or purple tier — the most strict level of the system.
This announcement comes after Newsom publicly faced criticism from many small businesses, particularly those in the salon industry. Just last week, a number of California salons joined together to take legal action against Newsom, filing a lawsuit to force the reopening of their respective businesses.
So, What Does This Mean for Salons?
This move means that many salons and barber shops will now be able to immediately resume offering limited appointments indoors, depending on what tier their county falls under. In fact, all counties falling under the “widespread” tier will still be permitted to allow indoor hair services, with the usual coronavirus protocols in place (social distancing, mandatory masks, etc).
However, it is important to note that while state restrictions may have relaxed, each county still has the option of imposing their own stay-at-home orders or closing down activities or businesses that they find to be too risky for their area.
According to the CDPH, county tier updates will be provided on a weekly basis, every Tuesday. Be sure to check the status of salons and barbershops in your area here.
But What About the ICU Capacity?
As many will remember, Newsom’s stay-at-home order was first triggered, in early December, if the ICU capacity fell below 15 percent in one of the state’s five regions: Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.
According to a statement from the CDPH, four-week ICU capacity projections for San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area, and Southern California are above 15 percent—the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.
According to state data, as of Jan. 24th, California has confirmed more than 3.1 million coronavirus cases and more than 37,000 resulting deaths. Health officials have estimated that approximately 1 in 3 people have contracted the virus in Los Angeles. As these numbers show, this pandemic is far from over.
For more information California’s tiered reopening system, be sure to visit the state’s coronavirus website here.
