Marin Remains In Orange Tier After Uptick In Cases In Novato

Press release from the City of Novato:

April 20, 2021

The State of California has confirmed that Marin County will remain in Tier 3 or “orange” status in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy a while longer.

In general, for a county to advance to a less restrictive tier during the COVID-19 pandemic, it must:

1. have been in the current tier for a minimum of three weeks; and
2. meet criteria for the next less restrictive tier for the prior two consecutive weeks.

While Marin had achieved the first seven days of the required two weeks of qualifying data to move into the less-restrictive yellow tier, it narrowly missed the mark due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

“This is what the Blueprint was designed to do, to ensure a county moves forward only when we see a reliable trend of decreased transmission,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer. “When a small uptick in cases is enough to keep us where we are, it’s a sign we’re not ready.”

The data in question includes cases for the week ending April 10, when there was an increase in testing related to spring break travel. While the increase in cases was not a large spike, it was enough to prevent Marin from graduating to the yellow Tier 4. As a result, the 14-day qualification period starts over, meaning the earliest Marin could move into yellow status is May 4.

As of April 20, 76% of Marin County residents aged 16 or older had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, placing Marin among the most highly vaccinated counties. However, Willis warned it’s too early to assume Marin has achieved community immunity.

“If people see relatively high community vaccination rates as a reason to let down their guard, they’re mistaken,” Willis said. “Children under 16 still remain unvaccinated and it takes about six weeks for newly vaccinated people to develop immunity. The fact is, we remain vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission and if we want to move forward, we have to be vigilant together.”

Marin County Public Health recommends wearing of face coverings, physical distancing, and frequent hand washing when in public, and to considering testing prior to, and quarantining after, travel outside of the Bay Area. Free, same-day COVID-19 testing is available across the county, and anyone who comes into frequent contact with members of the public should consider getting tested at least once a month. For a list of testing locations, please visit coronavirus.marinhhs.org/testing.

In addition, health officials are encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations as part of the pandemic-ending toolkit. Vaccinations are widely available throughout Marin, including some walk-up options. Make a vaccine appointment online at GetVaccinatedMarin.org.

In August 2020, the state introduced its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a four-tier framework by which counties are measured for loosening and tightening restrictions on social activities and business operations. Sectors of business can progressively open more operations with moves up the list toward the final stage, yellow Tier 4. The California Department of Public Health assigns each county to a tier on a weekly basis based on two county-level factors: the total number of new cases, and the percent of new cases among those tested.

Stay Informed

Follow the latest COVID-19 surveillance figures in Marin on the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website. Register online to receive a daily COVID-19 update from Marin HHS at coronavirus.marinhhs.org/subscribe.

Visit the City of Novato COVID-19 webpage at novato.org/coronavirus to sign up for email or text message updates from the City, as well as for information on impacts to City services, City facility closures and cancelled and postponed events, what to do if you are feeling sick, and tips on how to reduce your risk of exposure.

Novato businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19, visit novato.org/COVID19biz for a listing of resources including information regarding unemployment, disability and paid family leave benefits; small business loans and grants; tax assistance; non-profit support; as well as information on workplace health and safety.

For up-to-date information on what other local agencies are doing in response to COVID-19, please visit the following websites:

Novato Unified School District: nusd.org/covid
North Marin Water District: nmwd.com
Novato Sanitary District: novatosan.com
Marin Transit: marintransit.org
Golden Gate Transit: goldengate.org/district/news-media
SMART: sonomamarintrain.org

This press release was produced by the City of Novato. The views expressed here are the author’s own.