Alameda County has moved to red tier. That means starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10, restaurants can resume indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, indoor gyms, yoga studios, and dance studios can operate at 10 percent capacity with modifications, and movie theaters can open at 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Museums and cultural ceremonies are allowed at 25 percent with modifications.
Oakland Public Library may soon re-open limited indoor usage of computers at certain branches, according to the City of Oakland’s announcement. Oakland’s outdoor pools operated by Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) are also allowed to re-open under the red tier. Outdoor sports and performances will be allowed at 20 percent capacity and only for in-state visitors. Amusement parts will be allowed to re-open at 15 percent capacity.
Note that red tier still means “substantial spread” of COVID. The categorization is based on COVID test results, allowing the county to move from purple to red tier. The test results must be between 5-8 percent positive and 4-7 new daily cases per 100,000 people to be in the red tier. The guidelines are determined by the state.
For comparison, on January 9, Alameda County’s 14-day positive cases peaked at 11,926, while on March 6, the 14-day positive case total was 1,475. It should be noted that the total number of tests given have declined during a similar period. On January 9, the rolling 7-day average number of tests given was 11,027; on March 6, the 7-day average number of tests given was 8,329.
Festivals, indoor playgrounds, nightclubs, bars, breweries, distilleries are still not allowed.
The city cautions:
“COVID-19 caseloads remain at a substantial level in Alameda County, and all Oaklanders are reminded to follow the 5 Ws to stay safer:
- Wear a mask,
- Wash your hands,
- Watch your distance,
- Wait to see loved ones,
- When it’s your turn, get vaccinated.“
To read the full announcement, visit the City of Oakland’s website or the state’s website.
Momo Chang is a freelance journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the Oakland Voices Co-Director. Her work focuses on healthcare, immigration, education, Asian American communities, food and culture. She is a former staff writer at the Oakland Tribune. Momo has received journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative reporting and the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. Her work has appeared in the East Bay Express, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, and The New York Times. Momo is primarily a print journalist who also produces audio and visual stories for documentary film and radio. She is a Senior Contributing Editor for Hyphen and formerly the Content Manager at the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).
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