Theme parks, stadiums will soon be allowed to reopen as pandemic wave appears to fade

With the most recent wave of the coronavirus pandemic appearing to be in the rearview mirror, some aspects of normal life will start to return next month.

On Sunday, March 7, San Diego County public health officials reported 187 new COVID-19 infections and five deaths, far lower numbers than the thousands of new cases and dozens of new deaths reported on a typical day in December or January.

In the 92028 ZIP code, which includes Rainbow and De Luz, county data showed the case rate dropped to 9.0 per 100,000 for the week of Feb. 14-20, the most recent week for which data is available, from 15.4 cases per 100,000 during the week of Feb. 7-13.

There were 31 new coronavirus cases during Feb. 14-20, an obvious drop from the 53 new reported cases the week prior and an even sharper drop from the 84 cases reported the week before that. There has been a total of 3,554 reported coronavirus cases in 92028 since the start of the pandemic.

The county combines Bonsall’s 92003 ZIP code with neighboring Vista, given Bonsall’s low population; that combined area showed a case rate of 11.7 per 100,000 as of Feb. 14-20, down from 18.6 the week prior, and there were 44 new reported COVID-19 cases Feb. 14-20, down from 70 during Feb. 7-14. There have been 4,931 total reported coronavirus cases in the Bonsall-Vista area since March.

Stadiums and theme parks have now gained clearance from state officials to reopen April 1, though they will still have strict limits on capacity.

Theme parks can reopen at 15% capacity in the red tier of the state's four-tiered reopening plan. Capacity levels will shift to 25% in the orange tier and 35% in the yellow tier.

For now, San Diego County remains in the most restrictive, purple, tier, but numbers are trending downward at such a rate the county could be promoted to the red tier this month.

The changes don't mean the threat of the coronavirus is completely gone, but it is a significant step toward reopening some large venues as virus case rates continue to decline and vaccination numbers increase.

“This is another strong step forward in our COVID recovery,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairman Nathan Fletcher.

“We have worked hard to get to this point and this new state guidance will deliver a safe return to having fans at Padres games, outdoor concerts and amusements parks.''

Attendance at such events will be limited to in-state visitors.

The San Diego Padres expect to have fans at Petco Park for their home opener April 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, CEO Erik Greupner said.

“Our #1 priority is providing our fans with a safe and fun experience when they return to the ballpark,'' Greupner said. “We have been diligently preparing to ensure that Petco Park is one of the safest places to be in San Diego this season.''

The team will soon notify its season ticket holders with details of their return to Petco Park, Greupner said.

If San Diego County is in the red tier by the end of March, about 8,500 fans would be allowed to attend the opening day game, 20% of Petco Park's capacity, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $6.6 billion legislative package on Friday, March 5, offering incentives for schools to resume in-person instruction for students up to second grade by April 1 and provides funds to help recoup learning lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly by extending the school year.

The proposal does not order schools to reopen, but those that fail to do so by April 1 will lose 1% of their share of the funds for every day they miss the deadline.

The money will be available to schools in counties that have an average daily new COVID-19 case rate of less than 25 per 100,000 residents, which covers the vast majority of the state, including San Diego County.

As of Sunday, March 7, of the county's population over the age of 16, 23.4% – or nearly 629,783 people – have received at least one dose, and 12.2% – or more than 327,958 people – have been fully inoculated.

Will Fritz can be reached at [email protected].