The novel coronavirus has pushed the U.S. to a state of lockdown for several months with California acting quickly in March to stop the spread. California governor Gavin Newsom has implemented a four tiered system to categorize counties in order to deal with the differences between regions. Orange County has long been in the second most severe tier, but as cases hold steady for another week, it seems like they might be entering the third tier before the end of the month. 

“Sept. 29 is the earliest we can move into the orange,” said county spokeswoman Molly Nicholson, according to The Orange County Register. 

This is especially significant because once in the third tier, the county can move to reopen indoor seating for restaurants at 50% capacity, bars can reopen outside, and entertainment centers would also be allowed to open at 25% or 50% capacity. 

Reopening would stimulate the economy and help business owners who have had to close their doors, but there is also concern that there will be another spike due to Labor Day. So far, the numbers don’t reflect this, but the concern stems from the spike seen in the weeks after Memorial Day. Leading health officials are still recommending that activities in public be outside and with proper social distancing. 

Among the main supporters for reopening Orange County further is Disneyland, which has proposed new safety measures in an attempt to get a partial reopening of the park cleared by the state. According to ABC7, these measures include a temperature check at the entrance, mandatory face coverings, regular cleanings, and more. Disneyland is a large employer in Orange County with around 80,000 jobs connected to the dual theme parks of California Adventure and Disneyland. The possibility of reopening the parks also means allowing thousands of people to go back to work. 

One sector that has already been cleared for reopening is the school system. However, teachers are not enthusiastic at the thought of returning to physical school, as many teachers are dissatisfied with the safety measures being put in place. 

In Orange County “10 of 29 school districts have plans to reopen before the end of the month” according to The Los Angeles Times. Students will still have the option to be online only, but it is less clear which teachers will also have that opportunity. The growing sentiment of teachers is that they would like to return but only safely. 

Orange County is attempting to strike the fine balance between caution and expediency but only time will tell if these efforts will have been enough. 

Photo courtesy of LATIMES.COM