Alameda County Moves Into Orange Tier; More Services Allowed

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — State health officials gave Alameda County the all-clear to proceed into the orange tier, indicating the COVID-19 risk level has lessened.

The orange tier is the second-lowest tier in the state four-tiered, color-coded risk system and indicates a "moderate" COVID-19 risk level.

This means that the state will allow loosened business restrictions, but Alameda County said in a statement that is exercising caution and declining to allow business openings that the state permits in the orange tier.

When Alameda County moved into the red tier from the purple tier last month, county health officials pumped the breaks and instead opted to draft their own more conservative, phased reopening plan. Restaurant owners were displeased to hear that county officials declined to let them reopen indoors, despite the state's determination that reopening with safety modifications was OK.

Read: Alameda County Moves Into Red Tier, But No Businesses Reopening

Beginning Oct. 26, however, the county will allow the resumption of indoor activities that the state allows in the red tier, including:

• restaurants (25 percent capacity or fewer than 100 people; whichever is less)
• worship houses (25 percent capacity or fewer than 100 people; whichever is less)
• theaters (25 percent capacity or fewer than 100 people; whichever is less)
• indoor retail and malls (half-capacity and with limited food court services)

Alameda County will also allow more outdoor activities beginning Friday, such as the reopening of playgrounds.

Tuesday also marked the first day that some Alameda County students returned to school.

The county said it would continue to monitor the impact of new reopenings to determine which additional services may reopen in the future.

There have been 22,216 COVID-19 cases and 431 deaths reported in Alameda County as of Tuesday afternoon. Get the breakdown by city here.