CORONAVIRUS numbers for Orange County appear to be on track to possibly move to the “orange” tier in two weeks (Pexels/Anna Shvets).

Orange County is poised to go “orange” if it can keep up with the encouraging statistics released Tuesday (today).

According to the California Department of Public Health, the OC is now within the parameters to be moved from its current status coronavirus of “red,” formally called substantial, to the less restrictive “orange” tier, known as moderate.

To qualify for orange, a county must have a positivity rate between 2 and 4.9 and new COVID-19 cases per day per 100,000 of between 1 to 3.9. The county has a positivity rate of 3.1 and new cases per day of 3.6.

A change in tier won’t occur right away. A county has to remain in its current tier for three weeks before it can move; the OC is beginning its second week in red. To move forward it must meet the next tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks.

Moving to the orange band would allow most retail operations to expand to full capacity.  Generally, churches and movie theaters will go from 25 percent (or 100 people, whichever is fewer) to 50 percent (or 200 people whichever is fewer).

Restaurants would be allowed 50 percent capacity (or 200, whichever is fewer) for indoor seating. Hotels, now at 10 percent for fitness centers, would be at 25 percent for fitness centers, plus indoor pools. Gyms and fitness centers would go from 10 percent to 25 percent and allow swimming in indoor pools.

For details, go to:  cdph.ca.gov.  Under “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” go to the bullet point reading “Understand which activities and businesses are open in four tiers” and click to open.