Where California stands in its reopening phases

More businesses that were closed for months due to the Coronavirus pandemic are slated to open back up on Friday in accordance with the state's new guidelines. The state's reopening process appears to be moving forward, but with exceptions. Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcements in recent weeks for some businesses to open up, the state is leaving many of those decisions up to counties.

Last week Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the reopening of tattoo shops, nail salons, and certain personal care facilities.

California's rigid reopening plan has not panned out with the structure it started out with at the start of the pandemic. The phase system was implemented as residents were told to quarantine at home, and while non-essential businesses were forced to shut their doors.

"Now they are issuing more guidance for more industries for what they call variance counties-- so those are the counties that were approved to move into accelerated stage 2," Riverside County Public Information Officer, Brooke Federico said.

An example of one of the exceptions is hair salons. That sector of business was categorized in phase 3, as a "higher risk" workplace. Phase 3 has not yet started, and yet hair salons were permitted to open back up late last month.

“Counties that are reopening their economy more quickly than the state as a whole (including some Stage 3 businesses and activities) may only do so after a rigorous attestation process," The California Department of Public Health told News Channel 3.

The department replied that one of the state's roles is to release guidelines, but it is ultimately up to the county public health officer to decide whether certain sectors of business will reopen.

Riverside County is one of them. On May 21, the county received approval of the state's variance attestation process. It includes extensive documentation in order to meet requirements, and several epidemiological benchmarks.

"Some of the things they’re looking for on those metrics are hospital capacity, and increases in hospitalizations as well as our positivity rate which is the number of people who are tested for coronavirus, and of those people who are tested, the ones that are positive," Federico said.

The criteria also includes hospital surge capacity plans and disease containment.

"In relation to COVID-19 we have a team of contact tracers specifically dedicated to contacting every person who tests positive for COVID-19 and then finding out who their close contacts are, and then making contact with those individuals to find out if they have symptoms, to ask them to get tested and to self quarantine," Federico said.

She also said that the county has hired 200 contact tracers, and plans to hire 175 more. Federico described them as 'public health disease investigators," which are crucial in disease containment.

As of Tuesday the state's public health department said California remains in its second reopening phase.

On Friday tattoo shops and nail salons are among those to resume service, as long as they receive county approval. The go-ahead has not been released, but Federico said the county would release information in the coming days.

According to the roadmap, youth sports and weddings remain in phase 3. The state has yet to map out of plan for youth sports.

"The state did clarify that cultural ceremonies and religious ceremonies are open right now and wedding ceremonies will be allowed under that religious ceremony, however, they have been clear that wedding receptions are celebrations and will not be allowed during that current stage," Federico said.

California's department of public health said there is no specific timeframe for Stage 3, and that new guidelines will be released as it draws closer. It is still unclear when that will be.