Valley counties fail to move to least-restrictive COVID tier. Here’s which ones did
Three more California counties took another step toward post-COVID-19 normalcy on Tuesday, advancing into the least restrictive level of the state’s color-coded business-reopening program.
Los Angeles and San Francisco joined the ranks of counties in yellow Tier 4 of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, denoting “minimal” spread of the coronavirus among residents. But counties in the central San Joaquin Valley stayed where they’ve been for the past couple of weeks in the latest tier assessments by the California Department of Public Health.
Fresno, Kings, Mariposa and Tulare counties all remain in orange Tier 3 of the state blueprint, indicating that COVID-19 continues to spread at a “moderate” pace in the community. Madera and Merced counties stayed put in red Tier 2, denoting “substantial” viral transmission. The tier assignments are based on the number of new cases that arise each day in proportion to a county’s population and the percentage of people whose tests for coronavirus come back positive.
Case rates and testing positivity for Valley counties that formed the basis for Tuesday’s tier assignments cover the week ending April 24.
For that week, Fresno County recorded an average of 4.6 new confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents. That’s down from 4.9 daily cases a week earlier, and remains below the orange-tier ceiling of six cases per day. Among residents who were tested for coronavirus during the week, 2.2% tested positive for the virus, down from 2.5% the prior week, and safely below the 5% threshold to stay in the orange tier.
But neither the case rate nor testing positivity are low enough yet to earn Fresno County a place in the state’s least-restrictive level, yellow Tier 4, representing minimal spread of the virus in the county.
It will take at least two weeks before Fresno could move forward into the yellow tier. Not only would the county have to get its rate of daily new cases down to less than two per 100,000 residents, and have a testing positivity rate of under 2%, it would have to meet those criteria for the next tier for two consecutive weeks.
In neighboring counties, Tuesday data shows:
- Kings County, in orange Tier 3: The rate of new daily cases per 100,000 residents dipped slightly to 4.2 per 100,000 residents compared to 4.4 cases per day the previous week. Testing positivity was almost unchanged, at 1.5% compared to 1.6% a week earlier.
- Madera County, in red Tier 2: 4.9 daily new cases per 100,000 residents, down from 6.3 a week earlier. Testing positivity was down by more than a full percentage point, to 2.2% compared to 3.4% the prior week. Both measures now meet the threshold for entry into orange Tier 3, and Madera County could advance if the county can hold or improve those rates next week.
- Mariposa County, in orange Tier 3: The rate of new cases increased from 4.8 per 100,000 last week to more than seven this week. Two weeks ago, the county was reporting new cases at a rate of fewer than one per 100,000 residents. Testing positivity also increased, climbing to 2.6% compared to 1.4% the prior week.
- Merced County, in red Tier 2: The rate of new cases per day climbed this week, rising to 8.9 per 100,000 residents compared to eight last week. The testing positivity rate was down slightly to 3.3%, compared to 3.5% a week ago.
- Tulare County, in orange Tier 3: The rate of new cases per day fell slightly, at 2.7 per 100,000 residents compared to 2.9 the prior week. The testing positivity rate increased, however, growing to 4.1% compared to the prior week’s 3.3%.
The differences in what’s allowed under the various tiers is significant.
In red Tier 2, currently occupied by Madera and Merced counties, restaurants can open their dining rooms to serve customers, but only at 25% of capacity. Movie theaters, museums and some other indoor activities are also limited to 25% of capacity, while fitness clubs and gyms are limited to 10% of capacity.
In orange Tier 3, restaurants, movie theaters and museums can expand to 50% of their capacity, while gyms can be open at up to 25% of capacity.
Restrictions are also loosened in the orange tier for such activities as private gatherings, private events, family entertainment centers and outdoor live events such as sports or concerts.
New tier assignments take effect on Wednesday, a day after the levels are announced by the state.
The statewide picture
Seven California counties are now in the least restrictive tier of the state’s blueprint, yellow Tier 4. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Trinity counties all moved into yellow from orange Tier 3 this week. They join Alpine, Lassen, Mendocino and Sierra counties.
Inyo County moved from red Tier 2 into orange Tier 3, bringing to 39 the counties at that level: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura and Yolo.
Twelve counties are in red Tier 2: Del Norte, Madera, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Stanislaus, Solano, Tehama and Yuba.
California has no counties remaining in purple Tier 1, the most restrictive level denoting “widespread” transmission of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Valley counties fail to move to least-restrictive COVID tier. Here’s which ones did."
