Coronavirus Reopening: Riverside County Waits, San Diego Gets OK

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As Riverside County awaits news from the state to move into an expanded phase 2 reopening of the local economy amid coronavirus, its neighbor to the south was given a green light to do just that.

On Wednesday night, the state approved San Diego County's request to allow dining at restaurants and in-store shopping, both with social-distancing restrictions — something Riverside County has sought.

As of Thursday afternoon, San Diego is the only Southern California county to receive the state's variance. The county reports 6,315 COVID-19 cases and 241 deaths.

Riverside County now reports 6,343 cases and 284 deaths, an uptick from yesterday of 159 and 14, respectively.

Riverside County residents who've undergone COVID-19 testing stands at 93,101, which means the county is still below the state's 8% "positivity rate" — one of the criteria Gov. Gavin Newsom said was needed to move into an accelerated reopening. Hospitalizations continue to decline. The county reports 183 patients are undergoing care — 67 of them in ICU. Previous day's reporting showed 189 hospitalizations with 69 in ICU.

Riverside County residents who've recovered from the virus is now at 4,016.

As San Diego County restaurants work to reopen, they must adhere to county guidelines, including having tables six feet apart, having temperature screening of employees, requiring facial coverings on employees at all times and on customers unless they are seated. Reservations are encouraged.

Retail stores in San Diego County have similar restrictions, including limiting the number of shoppers in stores to maintain social distancing and requiring facial coverings for employees and customers at all times.

Jeff Rossman, president of the San Diego branch of the California Restaurant Association, urged diners to be patient with businesses, who were doing everything they could with limited supplies, information and staff.

"We encourage people to take their time," he said, noting he would open his own two restaurants the first week of June. "Please don't come in if you're sick. Please be courteous, comply with signage and give yourselves extra time to comply. We've seen the long lines at casinos reopening, we don't want people queuing. Wait in your car if possible until your table is ready."

San Diego County also sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday night asking him to approve a pilot program for Phase 3 of the state's reopening plan. If approved, it could allow for the reopening of certain facilities, including youth and sports clubs, salons, fitness clubs and outdoor religious services.

In-person funerals, both indoors and outdoors, are now being allowed in San Diego County, provided every person in attendance wears a face covering and different household units maintain six feet of distancing from each other.

While houses of worship can open for funerals in San Diego County, they are a one-time situation. Any regularly scheduled religious services are still prohibited in person by the California's reopening guidelines.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors had announced that Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino and Orange counties were working together to persuade the governor to allow an accelerated phase 2 reopening on a regional level. Besides San Diego County, the nearest county allowed the variance is Santa Barbara.

According to the supervisors, Riverside County boasts one of the highest per-capita testing rates in California. But the county also has generated the second-highest number of cases and deaths in the state, second only to Los Angeles County.

Newsom said Monday that the state may significantly ease restrictions in the next few weeks, and that roughly 53 of the state's 58 counties would likely qualify to move deeper into phase 2 of the state's recovery roadmap.

—City News Service contributed to this report.