Riverside County officials are trying to provide hope to suffering businesses and people with a three-phase reopening plan.

“Timing is based upon seeing our number of cases have slowed down recently,” Brooke Federico, Public Information Officer for Riverside County, said. “We see our hospitalizations have also decreased.”

In the letter addressed to the state, the county outlined these dates for businesses/industries to reopen.

September 8th, phase 1: dine-in restaurants, places of worship and non-essential offices.

September 22, phase 2: wedding receptions, group meetings and indoor shopping malls.

October 6, phase 3: gyms, movie theaters and bars.

With these quickly approaching dates, NBC Palm Springs asked Federico if we are ready as a county.

“It is a gradual reopening so it’s not reopening all of the businesses again,” she said. “It would be reopening certain types of industries again and allowing for a two week period before a next round of businesses were to reopen.”

Attached to the letter are reasons for why the plan is necessary. Graphics cite behavioral health, drug overdoses and economic, housing and food impacts as pressing issues spurred on by the shutdown.

Federico said these issues and the pandemic can not be compared. She said the pandemic is the county’s first priority.

Governor Newsom addressed the letter in his briefing on Wednesday morning. He said he’s in collaboration with local leaders about a reopening framework.

“We’ll be making public next week the details of our strategies,” he said.

In the meantime, Federico said to keep safety in mind.

“Wear face coverings, don’t go to social gatherings and make sure you’re constantly washing your hands and keeping that six feet of distance.”

Riverside County outlines 3-phase plan to gradually reopen businesses after Labor Day