Dallas County officials on Wednesday for the first time since May lowered the color-coded coronavirus threat level to orange after a sharp and sustained decrease in new COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations.

The nonbinding guide written by public health, epidemiology and infectious disease experts was first published in May as the state began to reopen the economy. Until Wednesday, the county has never lowered the perceived risk from its highest zone, red.

The move to orange means, according to the guide, that it is now safer to eat inside restaurants and attend movies — so long as social distancing guidelines and mask-wearing are enforced. Other activities such as working out in a gym and nonessential home repairs are still discouraged. People over 65 or in a high-risk group should still avoid in-person activities.

Dr. Philip Huang, the county’s health department director, in previewing the decision to lower the threat level said Tuesday at a Dallas County commissioners meeting that people must maintain the safety protocols that have led to the decrease in new cases.

“The universal masking, the closing of the bars, people still staying home, washing their hands, teleworking when they can, has made a difference,” he said, adding that easing up too fast could trigger another wave of infections.

Among the metrics Dallas County officials have used to make this decision include the number of new COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations. The threat level can be lowered when hospital and ICU admissions show a progressive daily decrease over more than 14 days and deaths from the virus also trend downward over that same time period.

The announcement comes on the eve of the long Labor Day weekend and as schools across North Texas begin meeting in person. Health experts and government officials have pointed to the Memorial Day weekend as the genesis for the state’s surge in cases this summer.