What changes throughout Central California as state reopens
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Restrictions are all but gone in California now, but not everyone is leaving their protections behind.
June 15, 2021, will go down in history as the day California left COVID-19 interventions in the past.
For residents of the city (of Fresno), that means we can go to the movies, or to the park, or enjoy indoor dining," said Fresno Assistant City Manager Gregory Barfield. "You're at full capacity with no restrictions and no masks."
Capacity limits are gone and vaccinated people can now go out and about without masks at grocery stores, gyms, churches, bars, and just about everywhere except at work indoors.
And yet masks were still a common sight Tuesday at Trader Joe's and Horn Photo.
RELATED: Valley travel industry shows signs of rebound as CA reopens economy
Island Waterpark general manager Bob Martin says lifting the restrictions won't change everyone's perspective.
"I think they'll feel more comfortable," Martin said. "But I think there will still be a lot of people (wearing masks), because we've had a lot of interaction with people that just said 'We're not quite sure yet.'"
As the restrictions end, Fresno County data shows the number of new cases down to about 22 per day.
The number of hospitalizations is hovering in the fifties, less than 10% of the hospital population in January.
RELATED: June 15 is here: Everything changing in California's grand reopening today
Only seven COVID patients are in ICU.
"Thankfully, everything's going the right direction," said Dr. Rais Vohra, the Fresno County health director. "But we need to be mindful that we're not done yet. We need to stay vigilant and we're also watching the variants."
The county's vaccination efforts will soon transition from large sites to all mobile clinics capable of reaching more remote communities where rates are lower and the risk is a bit higher.
"This is not a day to spike the football," said Gov. Gavin Newsom as he marked reopening at Universal Studios in Los Angeles County. "This is not a day where we announce 'mission accomplished', quite the contrary. We're here because of your hard work."
RELATED: 506 days: Looking back at the ups and downs of COVID-19 in Central California
Employers should be able to lift mask requirements on Thursday.
At Fresno's City Hall, that means reopening is coming soon, but not right away.
They plan to open the building and most public-facing services sometime in July.
