More California counties move out of most stringent COVID-19 tier
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly held a news conference Tuesday where he gave an update on county changes in California's new color-coded, tiered reopening system.
Inyo, Marin and Tehama counties have moved out of the most stringent purple tier and are now in the red category, Ghaly said. Under that tier, several types of businesses are able to again operate indoors with modifications.
| MORE | Click here to see what is and isn't allowed in each tier
Here's a breakdown of how many counties are in each category:
- Purple: 30
- Red: 17 (New: Inyo, Marin, Tehama)
- Orange: 9
- Yellow: 2
The week of Sept. 22 is the first time a county would be able to move from a red or orange tier to a less restrictive tier, according to Ghaly.
California's new reopening framework uses COVID-19 case rates and the percentage of positive tests to determine a county's tier.
Under the new guidelines, counties have to remain in a tier for at least three weeks. Counties then have to meet the next tier's requirements for two consecutive weeks before they can move into the next tier.
If, however, a county's data worsens for two weeks, that county will be moved into a more restrictive tier, according to the California Department of Public Health.
COVID-19 is from the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold but also more serious illnesses like SARS and MERS.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.
This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 for the latest.