SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is doing away with the County Monitoring List and will have new criteria for whether counties in the state can reopen fully, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday.
Starting Monday, the state will move to a four tiered approach. Counties will be color coded as either purple, red, orange or yellow depending on two criteria: COVID-19 daily case count per 100,000 people and positivity rate.
The purple tier represents widespread coronavirus infection (more than 7 daily new cases per 100,000 people and a more than 8% positivity rate). Red represents substantial infection (4-7 daily new cases per 100,000 people and a 5-8% positivity rate). Orange represents moderate infection (1-3.9 daily new cases per 100,000 people and a 2-4.9% positivity rate). Yellow represent minimal infection (less than 1 daily new case per 100,000 people and a less than 2% positivity rate).
So far, Gov. Newsom says that 87% of counties in California are in the purple tier, while only 0.1% have reached the yellow tier.
Gov. Newsom calls this new process "simple," as it does not rely on dozens of variances for counties to consider. The new system also allows for businesses long shuttered due to the coronavirus, such as hair salons and barbershops, to reopen with modifications even if they are in the purple tier.
However, in terms of advancing through the tiers, Gov. Newsom says that process will take longer, as there will be a 21-day mandatory waiting period before a county can be considered for the next tier.
“We’re going to be more stubborn this time and have a mandatory wait time between tiers,” Gov. Newsom said.
Counties can only move one tier at a time and must meet metrics for the next tier for two straight weeks before being considered to advance.
A resource has been added to the state's COVID-19 website that allows you to see what businesses are open in your county, and where your county lands in the new tiered system. Sacramento County, for example, currently sits in the purple tier, but according to the website, the county could allow some businesses like hair salons and barbershops to reopen with modifications.
Original story:
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce plans for reopening businesses that were shuttered in July amid soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
The steps he announces Friday could move the state slowly back toward normalcy heading into fall. The California Restaurant Association hopes Newsom will allow the return of indoor dining. Businesses and local governments buffeted by the outbreak say they need clarity in state rules to avoid confusion over who can reopen, and when.
Last month, Newsom ordered sweeping closures of businesses, shuttering bars, indoor religious services, gyms and hair and nail salons after coronavirus cases began to spike after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.
As of Friday morning, California had nearly 700,000 cases and 12,550 coronavirus deaths. Since the mid-summer reclosure of businesses, daily case numbers, infection rates and hospitalizations have continued to decrease.
At the height of the summer closures, a majority of California's 58 counties were on the state's watchlist. Recently, however, more counties have slowly been coming off, with Calaveras, Amador and Sierra counties all removed from the watchlist most recently.
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