SACRAMENTO, California — In the California Department of Public Health's tier system update, seven counties, including Calaveras County, moved to less restrictive tiers. In comparison, eight counties' data put them closer to moving to a more restrictive tier.
Of the eight counties, Placer County had a new case rate of five new cases per 100,000 residents, which is 1.1 higher than where it should remain in the orange tier.
Placer County was one of the counties with its new case rate rise to a more restrictive tier. After moving to the orange tier two weeks ago, the county had its first week where its case rate met the more restrictive red tier's metrics. If the county's case rate remains high for another week, the CDPH could move the county to the red tier.
Across California, many counties saw a rise in coronavirus cases. The state, as a whole, increased its number of new cases per 100,000 residents. This rise was also seen in Sacramento County, where officials were hoping to be moving to the less restrictive orange tier soon.
Sacramento County hoped to move to the orange tier before Halloween, but those hopes were dashed last week when the county's new case rate was a little high from meeting its goal. This week, instead of lowering its numbers, Sacramento County's new case rate went up to 5.7 new cases per 100,000 when last week it was at 4.4.
Both Sacramento and Placer counties' positivity rates and health equity metrics met the orange tier's requirements for the data presented by CDPH.
Two other counties could move tiers next week.
Solano County is in a position where its new case rate per 100,000 residents could cause CDPH to move the county to the more restrictive purple tier should its metrics remain high for the next week of measurement. Plumas County's positivity rate and its new case rate could lead to the county moving to the more restrictive orange tier from its current yellow tier status.
Colusa County could move to the less restrictive orange tier should its metrics remain low for the next week of measurement.