Imperial County allowed to move into stage 2 of reopening
Nearly two months ago, Imperial County had the highest coronavirus positivity rate in California with almost one in five tests coming back positive. Now, the county is set to start slowly reopening after seeing major improvements in case rates and hospitalizations.
On Tuesday, officials announced the state approved a variance allowing Imperial County to move into stage 2 high risk. This will allow many businesses to reopen with modifications.
The variance went into effect Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Stage 2 high risk is the stage that Riverside County and so many others have been in for several months. Many businesses can reopen with modifications, but higher-risk businesses can only operate outdoors.
On June 26 Governor Gavin Newsom recommended that Imperial County reinstate its stay-at-home order, the first county to have to do so, due to high positivity rate and hospitalization. Hospitals were packed and more than 500 patients had to be flown to counties to receive treatment.
Hospitals were packed and more than 500 patients had to be flown to counties to receive treatment.
I-Team investigator Peter Daut traveled to Imperial County following the governor's recommendation to get a firsthand look at the surge in cases, speaking with doctors and even a woman who tested positive for the virus.
The pandemic had a devastating effect on the county , however, now things are looking a little more hopeful now. The positivity rate has fallen to 14.7% and businesses are ready to reopen.
"I’m extremely proud of the progress our County has made," shared Stephen Munday, Imperial County Health Officer. "I do understand, given our weather conditions, it may seem less than ideal for some businesses to be limited to outdoor operations at this time. However, this is a sign of significant improvement for our County. And with our continued diligence, I’m hopeful that we can continue to move towards regaining a greater sense of normalcy in our community."
Imperial County remains on the state's monitoring list. The county currently has 829 active cases, 272 deaths, 9,385 recoveries, 33 patients hospitalized, and 10 patients in the ICU.
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