City, POA react to less-restrictive Red Tier

COVID-19 cases have been dropping for weeks, enough so that the California Department of Public Health has moved Riverside County Wednesday into the less-restrictive Red Tier of the state’s reopening framework. The move from the Purple Tier allows more businesses to resume indoor operations.

With the county’s new tier designation, the City of Canyon Lake, likewise, now is able to legally bring back 25% capacity (or 100 people, whichever is fewer) indoor dining, 50% capacity shopping and 10% capacity gyms.

With Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Chief Chad Bianco instructing his officers to not enforce state restrictions, the city has been left without an enforcement arm. The city contracts its police services with the county. However, the Canyon Lake Property Owners Association has aligned itself with the restrictions mandated by the state. Hence, the association restaurants are now able to reopen to limited indoor dining. Its restaurants have been serving food to outside diners as well as food for delivery and pickup. Now they are able to serve up to 100 people or 25% of its capacity.

Regardless, the move to the Red Tier brings with it all kinds of good news. The move is based on the county’s steadily declining coronavirus cases (6.1 case rate), percentage of positive tests (3.3%) and health equity metric (3.7%). Although the city’s citizenry lost another victim to the virus this last week, the city’s number of cases totalled only 10 the last seven days. There were even fewer the week prior. The Canyon Lake person who died last week was a white woman, her age between 65-79, the county reported.

There have been a total of 15 Canyon Lake COVID-19 deaths, which comprise 11 men and 4 women.

City of Canyon Lake City Manager Chris Mann is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

“The city is pleased that the number of confirmed active COVID-19 cases in Canyon Lake is going down, and that Riverside County has moved back into the Red Tier,” he said. “I think we are all looking forward to being able to dine indoors, go back to the gym, the movie theaters, etc.”

But with the better news, Chris stresses that nothing has changed from the city’s perspective.

“We continue to encourage residents to take all reasonable, recommended precautions,” he said. “Meanwhile, as we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel, we are grateful that Canyon Lake has weathered this storm so well. Canyon Lake now has the lowest unemployment rate in the county, at just 3.9%. Sales tax revenue has rebounded, and property values have remained strong.

“While our hearts go out to those who have suffered and those we have lost, Canyon Lake has shown a great deal of resilience throughout this pandemic.”

The Canyon Lake POA, although experiencing a loosening of attendance restrictions for outdoor events, are finding the Red Tier allowances too little and too late.

“We will re-evaluate our concert schedules, Fiesta Day, etc,” Canyon Lake POA General Manager Eric Kazakoff said. “Fiesta Day takes a lot of long-term planning and it is unlikely that those volunteer committee members have time to put anything together at this late date. The 20% attendance is probably a deal breaker for both concerts and Fiesta Day.”

The Fourth of July fireworks show, though, will occur in a similar fashion as took place last year, Eric said.

The indoor Concert at the Lodge scheduled for April 24 has been postponed to Oct. 15, concert organizer Doug Schultz said. The delay is the result of COVID-19 restrictions of holding indoor events. Canned Heat will perform at the postponed concert.

County leaders are ecstatic at the Red Tier designation.

“We’ve waited a long time for more of our local businesses to increase operations or return to serving more customers indoors,” Supervisor Karen Spiegel said.

More and more Canyon Lakers and others in the county are receiving their vaccinations. On Monday, COVID-19 vaccination eligibility statewide expanded to include people ages 16-64 with certain disabilities and/or underlying health conditions. In Riverside County, no verification needs to be shown for proof of one of the conditions.

Qualifying underlying health conditions include:

Cancer, current with a weakened immune system

Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above

Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen-dependent

Down syndrome

Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system

Pregnancy

Sickle cell disease

Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension)

Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5 percent

People with developmental or other severe high-risk disability were also eligible for vaccination beginning Monday if one or more of the following applies:

The person is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection

Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the person’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival

Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the person’s disability

The state also expanded the list of occupations that now qualify to be vaccinated. Janitors, couriers who handle vaccine supplies and emergency supplies, massage therapists, those who work in foster care, utility workers, social workers, homeless shelter workers, library staff and public transit workers are now all eligible.

Others who qualify under the California Department of Public Health Phase 1 guidelines include hospital workers, first responders, food service workers, teachers/educators and some agricultural workers.

Vaccination of seniors ages 65+ continues to be a priority. They may simply dial 211 to set an appointment and to get additional information. They may also go online with others who are eligible at https://www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine.