Businesses may start to reopen as soon as next week Ridgecrest Daily Independent Kern County Health officials announced that stores may begin reopening as early as next week after Kern County met the state’s red tier requirements Tuesday. Kern reported an adjusted case rate of 7.8 per 100,000 people, and a 3.7% positivity rate as well as a 4.9% health equity rate. If over the next week the Kern County Public Health Department reports more than the state’s red tier threshold, Kern will remain in the purple tier and the countdown resets. However, if Kern County does meet red tier requirements again next week, it will officially move into the less restrictive tier on March 24.