COVID-19 in California: Here are all the counties that can, can’t reopen below Governor Gavin Newsom’s reopening levels

UPDATE, March 30, 10:40 a.m .: Thirteen counties in California, including major population centers like Alameda and Los Angeles counties, have their reopening status changed on Tuesday. Fresno, Glenn, Kings, Madera, and Yuba counties have moved from the more restrictive purple level to the looser red level. Fresno County had been stuck in the purple level for 18 weeks. Eight counties have also joined the orange level: Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Los Angeles, Modoc, Orange, Santa Cruz and Tuolumne. See details on the changes and more on the status of your county below.

California is relaxing its tier guidelines, allowing more counties to start opening up.

These changes come as the state considers the equitable distribution of vaccines when deciding how many counties should be allowed to reopen. To put it simply, as California administers more vaccines to postal codes hit hardest by the pandemic, it will become a little easier for counties to move to less restrictive levels.

VACCINE TRACKER: How’s California, when we can get the coronavirus vaccine

The four levels are yellow, orange, red and purple. Yellow indicates minimal spread of COVID-19 and allows almost any business to reopen operations indoors (as long as physical distance and face coverage requirements are in place). Purple means there is widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the county. At the start of the four level system, almost all non-essential activities had to close in the purple level. Nowadays, much more is allowed with limited capacity. (See below for more details.)

The state added that it would create a green level soon, with even fewer restrictions, but did not release details.

Check out the map below to find out where your county is, and keep reading to find out what can and can’t open in each color-coded category.

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Now that 2 million doses of vaccine have been administered to those living in the Vaccine Equity Quartile, a new (slightly less stringent) set of parameters will be used:

• Widespread (purple): counties with more than 10 new cases per day per 100,000 population
• Important (red): 4 to 10 new cases per day per 100,000 inhabitants
• Moderate (orange): 1 to 3.9 new cases per day per 100,000
• Minimal (yellow): less than 1 new case per day per 100,000

Once 4 million doses of vaccine have been administered to people living in the “Vaccine Equity Quartile”, these parameters will change again:

• Widespread (purple): counties with more than 10 new cases per day per 100,000 population
• Important (red): 6 to 10 new cases per day per 100,000 inhabitants
• Moderate (orange): 2 to 5.9 new cases per day per 100,000
• Minimal (yellow): less than 2 new cases per day per 100,000

Each color code has a different set of rules regarding what businesses are and are not allowed to reopen, whether they can open indoors or outdoors, and at what capacity they can operate. Here’s how it breaks down by category:

PURPLE

• Hairdressing salons: open indoors with modifications
• Retail: open indoors at 25% capacity
• Shopping centers: open indoors at 25% capacity and food courts closed
• Nail salons: open inside with modifications
• Electrolysis: open inside with modifications
• Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoors with modifications
• Tattoo and piercing: open inside with modifications
• Museums, zoos and aquariums: exterior only
• Places of worship: open indoors at 25% capacity
• Cinemas: outdoor only
• Hotels: open with modifications
• Gyms: outdoor only
• Restaurants: exterior only
• Cellars, breweries and distilleries: outdoors only until 8 p.m.
• Bars: closed
• Family entertainment centers: outdoor only, such as mini-golf, batting cages, and go-kart races
• Card rooms: exterior only
• Non-essential offices: remote work only
• Professional sports: outdoor only with 100 spectators or less from April 1
• Schools: must remain closed
• Theme parks: must remain closed
• Live Shows: Outdoor only with 100 spectators or less from April 1

RED

• Hairdressing salons: open indoors with modifications
• Retail: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Shopping centers: open indoors at 50% of their capacity and limited food courts
• Nail salons: open inside with modifications
• Electrolysis: open inside with modifications
• Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoors with modifications
• Tattoo and piercing: open inside with modifications
• Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors at 25% capacity
• Places of worship: open indoors to a 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
• Movie theaters: open indoors to 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
• Hotels: open with modifications, and fitness centers can open at 10% of their capacity
• Gyms: open indoors at 10% capacity
• Restaurants: open indoors with a capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
• Cellars, breweries and distilleries: outdoors only until 8 p.m.
• Bars: closed
• Family entertainment centers: outdoor only, such as mini-golf, batting cages, and go-kart races
• Card rooms: exterior only
• Non-essential offices: remote work only
• Professional sports: outdoor only at 20% capacity from April 1
• Schools: may reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple level
• Theme parks: may reopen at 15% of their capacity from April 1
• Live shows: outdoor only at 20% capacity from April 1

ORANGE

• Hairdressing salons: open indoors with modifications
• Retail: open inside with modifications
• Shopping centers: open indoors with limited food court capacity
• Nail salons: open inside with modifications
• Electrolysis: open inside with modifications
• Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoors with modifications
• Tattoo and piercing: open inside with modifications
• Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Places of worship: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Movie theaters: open indoors to a 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less
• Hotels: open with modifications, their indoor pools can open and fitness centers can open at 25% of their capacity
• Gyms: open indoors at 25% capacity and can open indoor pools
• Restaurants: open indoors with a capacity of 50% or 200 people, whichever is less
• Cellars, breweries and distilleries: open indoors to a capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
• Bars: outdoor only
• Family entertainment centers: open indoors at 25% capacity for naturally distant activities like bowling and climbing walls
• Card rooms: open indoors at 25% capacity
• Non-essential offices: encourage telecommuting but can reopen workspaces in person
• Professional sports: outdoor stadiums can have audiences up to 33% capacity from April 1
• Schools: may reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple level
• Theme parks: may reopen at 25% of their capacity from April 1
• Live shows: outdoor only at 33% capacity from April 1

YELLOW

• Hairdressing salons: open indoors with modifications
• Retail: open inside with modifications
• Shopping centers: open indoors with limited food court capacity
• Nail salons: open inside with modifications
• Electrolysis: open inside with modifications
• Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoors with modifications
• Tattoo and piercing: open inside with modifications
• Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors with modifications
• Places of worship: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Movie theaters: open indoors at 50% of their capacity
• Hotels: open with modifications, their indoor pools may open, spas may open and fitness centers may open at 50% of capacity
• Gyms: open indoors at 50% of their capacity, as well as saunas, spas, steam rooms and indoor swimming pools may open
• Restaurants: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Vineyards, breweries and distilleries: open indoors at 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less
• Bars: open inside at 25% capacity
• Family entertainment centers: open indoors at 50% capacity, including arcades, ice skating, roller skating and indoor playgrounds
• Card rooms: open indoors at 50% capacity
• Non-essential offices: encourage telecommuting but can reopen workspaces in person
• Professional sports: outdoor stadiums can have audiences up to 67% capacity from April 1
• Schools: may reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple level
• Theme parks: may reopen at 35% of their capacity from April 1
• Live shows: outdoor only at 67% capacity from April 1

This story will be updated as counties are upgraded or demoted. Check back for updates.

To look for more specific business reopenings, from yoga studios to dry cleaners, check out the California COVID-19 website.

Check out the tracker below to find out how COVID-19 cases are evolving in your county.

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