Will Contra Costa Move To The Red Tier In Coming Weeks?

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Seven California counties, including three in the Bay Area, moved into the red tier Tuesday. But Contra Costa County is among four Bay Area counties that remain in the most-strict purple tier.

Contra Costa could move into the red tier in two to three weeks, assuming current trends continue, public health officials told the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Marin and San Mateo counties were allowed to move into the less-strict red tier last week, while Napa, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties moved into the red tier Tuesday.

The seven counties that moved out of the state's widespread, purple tier and into the substantial, red tier on Tuesday were able to show a reduced positivity rate between 5-8 percent for two weeks in a row.

Counties can enter the red tier if they meet the following standards for two consecutive weeks:

• 4 to 7 daily new cases per 100,000 people (seven-day average, with a seven-day lag)
• 5-8% testing positivity rate in the entire county (seven-day average)
• 5.3-8% testing positivity rate in communities most likely to be hit hardest (health equity metric)

Here's how Contra Costa compares to those metrics:

• 9.2 daily new cases per 100,000 people: nearing red tier standard
• 3.4% testing positivity rate in the entire county: meets orange tier standard
• 3.7% testing positivity rate in neighborhoods most likely to be hit hardest (health equity metric): meets orange tier standard

The state provides an exception that might allow the county to skip the two-week waiting period to enter the red tier after meeting its criteria. Since Contra Costa's health equity metric reaches the orange tier standard, it may eventually apply for a waiver to move more quickly out of the purple tier.

County public health officials will still have the option of enacting stricter restrictions than the state requires whenever Contra Costa moves into the red tier.

The state allows the following businesses and services to open indoors in red tier, with safety modifications in place:

• shopping centers (50 percent capacity; closed common areas and reduced-capacity food courts)
• indoor dining (25 percent capacity)
• fitness centers (10 percent capacity)
• places of worship (25 percent capacity or 100 people — whichever is fewer)
• nail salons
• massage facilities
• museums (25 percent capacity)
• zoos (25 percent capacity)
• aquariums (25 percent capacity)
• movie theaters (25 percent capacity or 100 people — whichever is fewer)

Contra Costa has reported nearly 80,800 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, with more than 1,200 deaths linked to the virus. Nearly 227,000 residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

County health director Anna Roth said 86 percent of county residents 75 and over have received at least one dose, along with 60 percent of those 65 to 74. The county will soon open more mass vaccine sites, including one at Diablo Valley College's San Ramon campus, by March 15.

Board chairwoman Diane Burgis pointed out that vaccine numbers in East Contra Costa still lag compared to other parts of the county, and wants that addressed with more area sites.

Changes are coming, but now is not the time to relax mask-wearing and social distancing, Roth said.

"And when it's your turn, please sign up. Please get your vaccine," she said, adding that residents can sign up at multiple websites, including the county health site (www.cchealth.org) and the state's MyTurn page (www.myturn.ca.gov).

— Patch editor Kat Schuster and Bay City News contributed to this report