Morning Brief: The Yellow Tier, Wildfire Advice And Theme Parks

Good morning, L.A. It’s May 5.

L.A. County public health officials confirmed yesterday that the county can enter the yellow tier of reopening, the least restrictive level of the state’s guidelines.

In the yellow tier, movie theaters, restaurants, fitness centers and places of worship can increase indoor capacity to 50%; museums, zoos, aquariums, retail, hair salons, barber shops, playgrounds and malls can open indoors with modifications; offices can resume work indoors (although remote work will still be encouraged); and more.

The biggest change under the yellow tier is that bars can reopen indoors at 25% capacity for the first time since the summer of 2020. The county’s public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said that while that may seem like a small change, for many former workers who’ve been unemployed, it’s huge.

“A small number of people will be able to be served indoors at bars,” she said. “But that, for some places, will be a very big difference.”

County officials announced last week that the region was close to meeting the criteria for the yellow tier. Counties must have a seven-day average of fewer than two new cases per 100,000 residents, and the number of positive results among all residents tested for the coronavirus must be less than 2%.

The changes are expected to be effective tomorrow. California will stop using the tier system altogether on June 15.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• While communities on the West Side have vaccination rates upwards of 60%, rates are hovering around 30% in Lancaster, Palmdale and parts of South and East L.A.
• Wildfire season is coming, and CalFire officials have some advice for you.
• A closure order from the city of Pasadena says its historic Central Library was built using unreinforced masonry that creates an earthquake hazard.
• Southern California’s Indian community is responding to the COVID crisis back home.

Before You Go … Be Prepared When You Go Back To Theme Parks!

Roy Disney, son of Walt Disney, poses with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto during a press preview of the Euro Disneyland site 11 April,1992.

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ERIC FEFERBERG

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AFP via Getty Images

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Theme park fans, you’re in luck: attendance at local venues is currently limited to California residents only. This was initially a state requirement, but updated guidance that went into effect last week allows theme parks to sell to out-of-state visitors.

Here are more updates about theme parks as L.A. County speeds into the yellow tier, and Orange County remains in the orange tier.