As COVID-19 Cases Decline, Seven Counties Move Into Less Restrictive Reopening Tiers
On March 2nd, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19. Statewide, the 7-day positivity rate is 2.3% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%. In response, Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted, “Only 7 other states have a lower positivity rate than we do.”
Additionally, CDPH provided some positive tier updates under the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Specifically, seven counties moved to a less restrictive tier, from Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial). Those counties include El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Clara. This raises the number of Californians living outside the most restrictive category from about 1.6 million to 5 million, representing about 13 percent of the state’s population. Additionally, no counties moved to a more restrictive tier. In total, forty counties remain in the Purple (widespread) tier, sixteen in the Red (substantial) tier, and two remained in the Orange (moderate) tier. No county is currently in the least stringent Yellow (minimal) tier.
“I’m very encouraged by the stabilization — the case rates, the positivity rate,” Governor Gavin Newsom said earlier in the week. “We do anticipate a majority of Californians in the next few weeks to be residing in counties that have moved out of the most restrictive purple tier.”
For more information, please see https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR21-070.aspx.
Naomi Padron
Legislative Advocate
McHugh Koepke & Associates
1121 L Street, Suite 103
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 930-1993
www.mchughgr.com
