Red tier means more businesses open in city

Kern County entered the red tier on Tuesday, opening the doors of more businesses and public buildings.

The tiers, determined by the state and Public Department of Human Safety’s Virus Grading Scale, dictate how the county is handling the pandemic.

The red tier, up from the purple tier where the county had been, means residents can now eat inside restaurants, as well as go to the gym and go inside other public buildings. Social distancing guidelines apply.

During the past two weeks, the increase in new cases has slowed. The total number of positive cases in Shafter is now 175 fewer than in Wasco. Wasco has had over 1,700 cases since the beginning of the outbreak.

In Shafter, the majority of restaurants have been open with take-out service or outdoor dining. The city had waived the outdoor dining permits.

The change to the red tier had not affected schools, which have been continuing with distance learning. Students and staff had been getting ready to return to campus in August; however the governor announced all school districts would be using distance learning.

The Richland staff has been implementing the distance learning curriculum along with offering free breakfast, lunch and dinner programs. Staff is also making plans to welcome students in special education classes to return to campus.