California sets stage for more (re)openings

California released guidelines for outdoor theater and music venues to reopen in the coming months, as the state continues to loosen Covid restrictions amid falling cases. Los Angeles County is also readying for wider openings as it shifts into a less severe tier level.

The state said the new rules apply to permanent outdoor venues and temporary pop-up outdoor stages, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Outdoor venues must have assigned seating with fixed locations to allow for social distancing and there must be at least 12 feet between the audience and the stage. Seats must also be reserved in advance and staff will need to monitor entry and exit points to avoid crowding, according to the report.

Capacity is based on a county’s tier in the state’s four-tier coronavirus scale — more capacity is allowed as the spread of coronavirus slows.

Capacity is limited to 20 percent in the red tier, which is the second-most severe tier in the system. Capacity is bumped up to 33 percent when a county enters the less-severe orange tier and is raised to 67 percent when a county moves into the yellow tier.

L.A. and Orange counties are expected to move from the red tier into the orange tier this week. Theme parks can reopen at limited capacity on Thursday. Capacity limits are similarly based on a county’s tier. Entering the orange tier allows for up to 25 percent capacity at theme parks including Disneyland and Universal Studios. The latter said it will now open on April 16.

The state allowed restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, and a slew of other businesses to reopen for indoor business at limited capacities earlier this month.

[LAT] — Dennis Lynch