Counties Operating As If It's 'Color-Blind' To State Tier System

LODI (CBS13) - California is coming back, announcing its clearest "end in sight" yet Tuesday. The state is laying out a date for lifting restrictions that have changed daily life throughout the pandemic.

"I just got a notification on my phone, we just went to "red," and it's like, "hallelujah," what's next?" said Lodi resident Craig Forrest.

Neighbors like Forrest say they're grateful San Joaquin County is returning to "red," one of the last counties in the state to do so.

As of Tuesday, the county is allowing indoor operations, on the same day the Governor says he's fully opening the economy in June.

California will be able to widely reopen for the first time in more than a year.

"I love it, I absolutely love it," said Forrest.

But some businesses in San Joaquin County say they're already color blind to the state's tier system, already operating indoors.

"Lodi sort of has this, "Okay we've had enough. We're going to get back to what a portion of normal is," Forrest said.

Restaurants and bars in San Joaquin County are looking much like those in Yolo County, which are allowed to operate with much higher capacity and indoors.

Old Ride Winery is one of the few businesses that say they're taking tier restrictions seriously.

They're cautious about when to reopen indoors and how.

"We are trying to adhere to the rules as best we can. We just kindly ask our customers do the same, sometimes it's a more difficult sell."

They've been taking advantage of time closed to completely re-do their outdoor patio.

They say they're ready for this summer to once again connect with their customers.

"It's really hard to convey a sense of story, value, and history when you can't talk about the wine very easily," said Emily Styron, Director of Marketing at Old Ridge.

The reopening will hinge on two factors: A "sufficient" vaccine supply
and stable, low numbers of people hospitalized with COVID>

The details of what "fully open" means aren't quite clear. The governor says businesses can reopen with "common-sense" safety protocols, like wearing a mask and social distancing.