Here’s what can stay open in Sacramento, even in California’s strictest purple tier
Update, Nov. 16: The entire Sacramento region has regressed to California’s strictest shutdown status, the purple tier, after state health officials invoked what is effectively a hard stop on economic reopening Monday due to surging coronavirus numbers.
Thirty-nine of the state’s 58 counties were demoted in total, with 28 moving to purple, including the entire six-county Sacramento region — El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Sacramento and the Yuba-Sutter bicounty area.
Read full story here: Entire Sacramento region moved to most restrictive COVID-19 tier amid growing state emergency
Original story
California’s purple tier is the state’s tightest stage for coronavirus restrictions, and with Sacramento and San Diego counties assigned to it Tuesday, the classification now encompasses more than half of the state’s population.
The move from the red tier down to purple is the biggest shift in the state’s reopening framework, forcing restaurants’ dining rooms, gyms, movie theaters, places of worship and a few other entities to close for indoor operations and services. It also stalls campus openings for school districts that haven’t yet started them.
But it is not a full lockdown. The rules and the guidelines for the purple tier have changed slightly since Sacramento County was last placed there near the end of September, along with some adjustments that came just before Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state established the tier system.
Here is a list of businesses and activities that will still be permitted in counties as they move to the purple tier. The state’s face-covering requirements apply for all of them, with very limited exceptions.
- Personal care services, which include nail salons, tattoo parlors, piercing shops, estheticians and a number of similar types of businesses, can remain open with modifications that include vigorous sanitation standards. These businesses were newly allowed into the purple tier on Oct. 20.
- Outdoor playgrounds and recreational facilities may remain open, with no eating or drinking allowed at playgrounds. These have been allowed in the purple tier since Sept. 28, which was the last day Sacramento County had been in that tier before it was promoted to red.
- Hair salons and barbershops can continue to cut, style and color hair. These businesses were given the green light to stay open regardless of tier level at the same time state officials first announced the tier system, which took effect Sept. 1.
- Retail stores as well as malls and shopping centers can stay open, but must halve their maximum capacities to 25% from the red tier’s 50%. Malls must close food courts and common gathering areas.
- Outdoor-based entertainment venues, such as mini golf or go-karts, can remain open.
- Cardrooms can remain open outdoors, as was the case in the red tier. Some in Sacramento County, including Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights, have set up large tent structures and moved their card tables outdoors to stay open.
- Professional sports may continue to play with no fans in the stands.
- Hotels and other lodging can remain open with modifications, though those with fitness centers inside must close those.
- Restaurants’ outdoor dining areas may remain open, and fast food establishments can keep drive-thrus open. Bars, breweries and distilleries that do not serve meals must remain closed, as had been the case in the red tier.
- Drive-in movie theaters can stay open.
- Outdoor museums and zoos may remain open. The Sacramento Zoo reopened in June, but with a number of amenities and indoor displays like its reptile house staying closed to the public, according to its website.
- So-called “limited” services can remain open. State health officials define these as businesses that do not typically require close customer contact or large crowds. Examples given by the state health department include laundromats, auto repair shops, contractors, electricians and plumbers.
- Critical infrastructure, such as grocery stores, gas stations and banks, remain open as they have throughout California’s stay-at-home order.
Sacramento County’s move to the purple tier officially takes effect at noon Friday, the county announced Tuesday.
This story was originally published November 11, 2020, 10:13 AM.
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