What to Know
- The businesses that are opening their doors to indoor activities include movie theaters and restaurants.
- The reopening is opening up opportunities to people who are looking for a job.
- The county's unemployment numbers continue to drop, in part because big companies like Amazon that have distribution centers here.
Business owners in San Bernardino County are opening their doors to indoor activities including movie theaters and restaurants.
The reopening is also opening up more opportunities to people who are looking for a job.
It was cold and rainy outside Graziano's Pizza restaurant in Fontana, which is why the reopening of limited indoor dining is a welcomed sight for customers.
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"It feels wonderful," said David Ortiz, a customer. "I feel free."
It's also liberating for businesses that rely on indoor dining and other indoor activities.
"We're excited," said Vince Turriciano, the general manager. "It's great to have people coming in again. Looking forward to opening our game room and having the kids in again."
San Bernardino County public health officials say the COVID-19 case rate is dropping quickly, so much so that the county may be moving into the even lesser restrictive orange tier in April.
"So our numbers are doing very well in the county. We still want to have our residents wear a mask," said Curt Hagman, a county supervisor. "Get vaccinated and do the things we've been preaching for the last year."
Hagman says there is more reason to celebrate as the county's unemployment numbers continue to drop, in part because of big companies like Amazon that have distribution centers here.
"Part of our mainstays is transportation and logistics," he said. "We have a huge amount of that in the valley here and with COVID, people purchasing more online we just got busier over the last year."
The red tier reopening is also opening up job opportunities at other businesses like Maria's Cafe Mexican restaurant in Colton.
"We need help to reopen because all the waitresses are gone," said Martin Fregoso, the owner.
Fregoso says he can't open his dining room because he doesn't have enough workers.
He's hoping to to hire more people as soon as possible, so he can also benefit from the extra indoor seating.
"I need help to start growing the business again."
