Southern California is set to take giant steps toward something more closely resembling pre-pandemic life as some economic restrictions that have been in place for months are close to being lifted, with some major changes possible in a matter of days.

This newest normal will still be a considerably different world, however — one marked by continued strict capacity limits for businesses, required masks and social distancing, and reduced or modified operations at public sites of all stripes, including schools, restaurant dining rooms, gyms and Disneyland.

With coronavirus cases down dramatically from the harrowing heights of the fall-and-winter surge, Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties are now on the precipice of exiting California’s purple tier, the most proscriptive of the state’s four color-coded reopening categories.

That trio of large, urban counties could move into the more lenient red tier in a matter of days. Ventura, Riverside and San Diego counties are a bit further away, but are poised to potentially do likewise as soon as next week.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.