Welcome to the ORANGE Tier, San Diego!

San Diego County will officially move to California's "moderate" orange tier of COVID-19 restrictions at 12:01am on Wednesday, April 7. With fewer restrictions, here is how businesses will now be able to operate in San Diego County:

Restaurants: capacity increases to a maximum of 50% or 200 people, whichever is fewer. Outdoor and indoor dining continues. The 10 pm to 5 am curfew is over.

Wineries, Breweries, Distilleries: indoor service can resume, with COVID safety modifications, including 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. The rule about NOT having to serve food at these businesses continues.

Bars (without food service): can reopen outdoors, with safety modifications

Museums, Zoos, Aquariums: capacity on indoor activities can increase to 50% (this was at 25% under the red tier rules)

Movie Theaters: indoor capacity increases to a max of 50% or 200 people maximum, whichever is fewer.

Family Entertainment Centers & Bowling Alleys: indoor service can resume, with COVID safety modifications, at 25% capacity – or at 50% if guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination, per the California Department of Public Health

Amusement Parks: capacity increases to a max of 25% (up from 15% under the red tier), with in-state visitors only

Outdoor Live Events with Assigned Seats (sports and live performances): capacity can increase to 33%; in-state visitors only and primarily in-seat concessions.

Places of Worship: 50% capacity indoor activities.

All retail: No capacity limits.

Effective April 15, the California Department of Public Health says indoor, seated live events and performances can resume under the red tier at a maximum of 10% or 100 people, whichever is fewer. In the orange tier, the max goes up to 15% or 200 people, whichever is fewer, or 35% if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination.

On June 15, Governor Newsom says the color-coded tier system will be suspended, AND on that date there will no longer be any restrictions on capacity, gatherings, sports, travel or openings. However, California will still have a mask mandate after June 15th, and large indoor events over 5,000 people like conventions will have to wait until October 1st.