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California eases restrictions in 5 more counties as coronavirus infections fall

The announcement on Tuesday means the state has now eased restrictions for more than 8 million people living in three of the state's most populous counties.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has relaxed coronavirus restrictions in five more counties including Placer County.

The announcement on Tuesday means the state has now eased restrictions for more than 8 million people living in three of the state's most populous counties — San Diego, Orange, and Santa Clara. Hospitalizations are down 24% over the past two weeks. 

"Amador, Orange, Placer and Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz all moved from purple to red meaning that they have now met for two consecutive weeks the threshold around data metrics," Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's Secretary of Health and Human services explained.

But the Newsom administration is taking it slow by requiring counties to meet benchmarks for two consecutive weeks before they can be upgraded. 

As of Tuesday, 33 of the state's 58 counties are listed in the top tier of the state's coronavirus tracking system.

For a list of what's open and closed with each tier, click here.

Read more from ABC10

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