Riverside County may be days away from moving out of the purple tier
Assuming the State of California meets projected vaccination goals, Riverside County could meet case rate levels that would put us into the Red Tier as soon as Friday.
However, it's still unclear if the state will change those measurement thresholds, and if so, how soon after that we'd see restrictions lifted in Riverside County.
"This week, Riverside County qualifies to advance to the next tier in the state’s reopening framework for the first time since late September. The accelerated progression is due to the low rate of positive tests in the county’s most disadvantaged communities," said Brooke Federico, Riverside County Public Information Officer.
"The state requires meeting specified metrics for two weeks before entering the next reopening tier," Federico said, "Riverside County must continue to meet the current metrics or lower to officially move into the red tier on Wednesday (March 17) or sooner if the state raises the case rate threshold to 10 as anticipated later this week."
"It is not yet known if the governor’s anticipated change to the case rate threshold later this week will allow Riverside County to move into the Red Tier sooner than Wednesday," County officials said in an online statement.
Governor Newsom plans to broaden the metrics needed for a change from Purple to Red Tier once the state is able to meet its goal of administering 2 million COVID vaccine doses in low-income, hard-hit communities.
Newsom said the state is expected to reach the 2 million dose goal by Friday. As of Wednesday, California has administered 1,926,968 doses in hard-hit communities.
When the state reaches the milestone, the "Blueprint for a Safer Economy" will be adjusted so that a county can move to the Red Tier if the average rate of daily new COVID-19 infections is 10 or lower per 100,000 residents, a looser standard than the current 7 per 100,000 residents.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Riverside University Health System - Public Health
This week, Riverside County qualifies to advance to the next tier in the state’s reopening framework for the first time since late September. The accelerated progression is due to the low rate of positive tests in the county’s most disadvantaged communities.
The state requires meeting specified metrics for two weeks before entering the next reopening tier. Riverside County must continue to meet the current metrics or lower to officially move into the red tier on Wednesday (March 17).
It is not yet known if the governor’s anticipated change to the case rate threshold later this week will allow Riverside County to move into the red tier sooner than Wednesday.
Once the county is moved into the red tier, more businesses may resume indoor operations, including restaurants, movie theaters, museums, zoos, aquariums and gyms with specific capacity limitations.
This week, the county’s overall positivity rate is 4.1 percent, and the positivity rate in health equity is 4.2 percent. The adjusted number of new cases per 100,000 is 8.3.
As of March 9, Riverside County has an 8.3 adjusted case rate, meaning the county would now qualify for the Red Tier. What's unclear still, is if the county needs to be in the newer metric level for as long as two weeks before releasing the restrictions. That's the difference between reopening more businesses by the weekend or next Wednesday.
Riverside County officials hope to have more clarity from the state on this in the coming days.
"And moving through the weekend and into next week, you will see more activity, more loosening of the tiers," Newsom said during a visit to a mobile vaccination clinic in South Gate.
"Once the county is moved into the red tier, more businesses may resume indoor operations, including restaurants, movie theaters, museums, zoos, aquariums and gyms with specific capacity limitations." Federico continued in a statement to News Channel 3, "This week, the county’s overall positivity rate is 4.1 percent, and the positivity rate in health equity is 4.2 percent. The adjusted number of new cases per 100,000 is 8.3."
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said earlier
this week that it will take 48 hours after the state announces the vaccination threshold is met for that county to officially move into the "red" tier.
If the goal is met by Friday, as Newsom announced, LA County would advance by Sunday.
Once the county moves into the Red Tier, it would be up to county officials to decide whether to fully align with the state's business-reopening guidelines or to maintain stricter regulations.
Federico confirms to News Channel 3 that Riverside County would remain in alignment with the state guidelines and not maintain stricter regulations than the state requires.
What changes from Purple to Red?
- Restaurants indoors (max 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer)
- All retail indoors (max 50% capacity)
- Shopping centers indoors (max 50% capacity, closed common areas)
- Museums, zoos, and aquariums indoors (max 25% capacity)
- Nail Salons: Can open indoors with modifications
- Places of worship indoors (max 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer)
- Movie theaters indoors (max 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer)
- Gyms and fitness centers indoors (max 10% capacity)
The move into the red tier also means that when outdoor spectator sports and live events can resume again in April 1, events in Riverside County will have a 20% max capacity, as opposed to a limit of 100 as it would be in the purple tier.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
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Editor's note: A previous version of this story noted some restrictions could be lifted "as soon as 48 hours after" the 2-million vaccine milestone was reached. County officials confirm they are awaiting clarity from the state on how soon we could see changes in Riverside County once that vaccine goal is reached, loosening the threshold to move between tiers.
