Despite fears of COVID, California could reopen more stores

More parts of California could open up their economies further this week as optimism grows as the latest coronavirus wave continues to decline and concerns that new strains of the virus could jeopardize that progress.

Officials are expected to announce Tuesday that seven counties will move from the purple tier – the strictest of the state’s four reopening categories – to the more permissive red tier.

The counties to advance based on the surveillance metrics used by the state are Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, El Dorado, Napa, Lassen, and Modoc.

Those seven, assuming they advance, would increase the number of counties that emerged from the purple level to 18 and increase the number of Californians outside the most restrictive category from about 1.6 million to 5 million, which is about 13% the population corresponds to the state’s population.

Counties are assigned levels based on three criteria: their average coronavirus fall rates, which are adjusted based on the number of tests performed; Testing the positivity rate; and a health equity metric designed to ensure that the positivity rate in poor color communities does not lag significantly behind the county’s total.

The districts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Plumas, Yolo, Marin, San Mateo and Mariposa are already in the red row. Two counties – Sierra and Alpine – have gone one step further, in the orange row.

No county is currently yellow, the least stringent category.

With newly confirmed coronavirus infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations continuing to decline, Governor Gavin Newsom expects the counties to move forward as the state reopens.

“I’m very encouraged by the stabilization – the fall rates, the positivity rate,” he said on Monday. “We expect the majority of Californians in the next few weeks will be living in counties that have pulled out of the most restrictive purple layer.”

For districts in this category, many businesses and public institutions are forced to cease or severely restrict their indoor operations, as officials and experts say such settings can pose an increased risk of coronavirus transmission. Other types of businesses such as theme parks, concert halls, and bars that do not serve food are completely closed.

These restrictions are gradually relaxed as the wards move through the tiered system. For example, districts in the red row can allow dining rooms and cinemas to reopen with a capacity of 25% or up to 100 people, whichever is lower. Gyms, dance and yoga studios can be used up to 10%. Museums, zoos and aquariums can open indoor activities with a capacity of 25%.

Shops, shopping malls and libraries can be 50% open. However, shopping centers have to keep public areas closed and reduce the capacity of food courts.

These tiered rules serve as a basis for local health authorities who can set even stricter rules if they deem it necessary, although they cannot be more lenient. Some areas, such as Los Angeles County and parts of the Bay Area, have periodically imposed restrictions that go beyond the state’s requirements.

While much of the state will remain stuck on the purple plains for the immediate future, the progression of all counties is welcome news after the winter surge, which saw coronavirus infections, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths skyrocketing.

In the past few weeks, the state’s coronavirus numbers have dropped to levels that have not been seen in months. However, as was often the case during the pandemic, that optimism brings with it a core of caution.

Although the state is going in the right direction, the rate of decline has slowed, raising some concerns that the number of new cases may stall at an increased rate, hampering a move towards more reopenings.

Newsom admitted Monday that “we are seeing a small plateau and one has to be aware of it.”

Federal officials have raised similar concerns, saying it is too early to abandon the public health protocols that fueled the recent turnaround.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday she was “deeply concerned about a possible shift in the course of the pandemic” and “very concerned about reports that more states are turning back just that.” We have recommended public health measures to protect people from COVID-19. “

This is particularly the case, she said during a briefing given the continued spread of more infectious coronavirus variants.

“At this level of cases where variants spread, we will completely lose the hard-earned ground we gained,” said Walensky. “These variants are a real threat to our employees and our progress. Now is not the time to loosen the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close. “

According to The Times, California has reported an average of 5,224 new coronavirus cases per day over the past week. That’s a decrease of almost 35% from two weeks ago.

Hospital stays have also continued to fall. As of Sunday, 4,912 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized nationwide, the lowest since November 19. The number of Californians battling COVID-19 in intensive care units – 1,439 – has also dropped to pre-Thanksgiving levels.

In the meantime, the rate of vaccinations has increased. For the past week, vendors across California delivered 235,711 doses per day, the highest moving average to date.

In total, nearly 9.1 million doses were administered nationwide.

With supplies remaining scarce, officials say local residents and businesses should take further steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their patrons. That means wearing masks in public, washing your hands regularly, and keeping your distance from those you don’t live with.

“We now have a timetable for the end of this pandemic, but those days are not there yet,” Hilda Solis, LA district director, said this week. “So please don’t risk it until you have the vaccine. I know it has been difficult, but we’ve been holding on together so far, so we just have to keep sticking together.”