SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A downpour of rain and frigid cold temperatures this week in San Diego, elements from Mother Nature that have forced business owners that operate outdoors to adjust.
"It’s so slow because it’s so cold, the rain, and it’s really hard to be outside for outdoor dining," Patrizia Branchi, who owns OperaCaffe in the Gaslamp, said.
Another hurdle added to a challenging year for Branchi. Like many other business owners, she’s constantly dealing with changes when it comes to what they can and can’t do because of COVID-19 precautions.
But now some believe they may be closer to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Right now, even though San Diego County is in the purple tier and indoor dining is not an option that could soon change, if the county moves into the red tier. County officials say our case rate this week is 8.8 per 100,000 people, barely above the seven needed to move into the red tier.
But when the state reaches the milestone of getting two million people vaccinated in areas hit the hardest. The case metrics of moving from the purple to the red tier will change, becoming 10 new cases instead of seven.
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And county supervisors are hopeful San Diego County will get there next week.
"We’re hoping to be able to welcome more guests in our restaurant. Hopefully, we’re going the right way with the red tier and more people getting the vaccine," Branchi adds.
