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No link seen between California school openings, virus cases

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top public health official, said Tuesday it can take time for trends to emerge but so far the results are encouraging.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A health official says California has not seen a link between the reopening of K-12 schools for in-person learning and increased coronavirus transmission.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top public health official, said Tuesday it can take time for trends to emerge but so far the results are encouraging.

California requires counties to report coronavirus levels and infection rates below certain thresholds before they can allow K-12 schools to broadly reopen for in-person instruction. 

Counties are 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.

On Tuesday, 32 of the state’s 58 counties were deemed eligible to do so, up from 28 a week earlier. The state has seen a broad decline in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. 

This week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) moved Yuba and Plumas counties to red tier and yellow tier, respectively. CDPH also reported El Dorado County is one week closer to moving from the orange tier to the more restrictive red tier.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

CORONAVIRUS CONTEXT

According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Currently, there is no vaccine. The CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.

WATCH MORE: Sacramento County moves to less restrictive tier on state's COVID-19 monitoring list

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