Riverside County proposes phased reopening plan beginning after Labor Day

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Riverside County officials have proposed a three-phased plan to reopen businesses and places of worship after Labor Day.

Riverside County reopening plan

Could Riverside County be on the verge of reopening?? It's happening.... But not everyone we talked to is on board.

“We need to look at how we can successfully not only suppress the virus but also help people get back into some sense of normalcy, get back to work so they can lead successful lives,” said Riverside County Executive Officer George Johnson. “We believe that there are much broader public health impacts to COVID-19 than just shutting things down and isolating people.”

Johnson added that people are facing unemployment, trouble paying rent, and food insecurity as shutdowns due to COVID-19 continue.

Get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

The three-phase plan would begin on September 8, with the reopening of dine-in restaurants, wineries and breweries; churches; indoor offices; and “personal care businesses” like hair and nail salons — all of which would have to follow state COVID-19 guidelines.

Phase two would start on September 22, with the go-ahead for weddings, group meetings and events, and indoor shopping malls.

Phase three on Oct. 6 would reopen gyms, movie theaters, and bars.

Before proceeding with each phase, health metrics and effects of the previous phase would be taken into account. The decision to proceed to the next phase would then be made by the County CEO, serving as the Director of Emergency Services, in consultation with Public Health and other County Policy Advisors.

Johnson said that safety will remain the county’s top priority as it gradually reopens.

“We’re not going to do this alone, we’re going to do this in partnership with the state of California, the department of public health. We’re prepared to have some conversations with them to see how we can do this in partnership in a safe way,” Johnson said.

The plan needs the state’s approval to move forward.

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.