Since August, Sonoma County’s been stuck in the state’s most restrictive tier in terms of COVID-19 recovery. But the possibility of opening up the economy a bit more is finally possible. 

Sonoma’s one of four Bay Area counties still in the purple tier, according to state guidelines. But because COVID cases are dropping, the county’s inching closer to the less-restrictive red tier, meaning restaurants can start indoor dining and gyms open with modifications.

The county’s current case rate has dropped to 9.5 per 100,000 people. That means the county could move tiers soon. But dozens of local businesses have already shuttered since the start of the pandemic. Federal, state and county funds have been set aside to help those businesses, but for many it’s been too little too late.  KRCB’s Tessa Paoli has more:

Local business owners struggling right now can visit http://sonomaedb.org/ for information about grants and resources.