Marin Co. Nears Orange Tier

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County is on course towards a semblance of normalcy with the lifting of some coronavirus restrictions expected soon.

That’s according to the Health Officer Matt Willis, who sounded cautiously optimistic during a presentation before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday in which he predicted the county an imminent move to the less restrictive orange tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer economy.

“We anticipate that we’ll be moving into the orange tier next week,” Willis said.

Willis cited a successful vaccination rate and plummeting cases as pivotal factors in the county’s expected move to the orange tier on March 24.

The move to the orange tier would mean retail and grocery stores could be allowed to open at 100 percent capacity, indoor dining, movie theaters, museums and houses of worship at 50 percent capacity, and gyms at 25 percent capacity.

Breweries and wineries serving food could open at 25 percent indoor capacity and bars would be allowed to open outdoors.

Marin is currently in the red tier.

Willis said the soonest the county could move into the least restrictive yellow tier would be April 14, noting counties are required by the state to remain in a tier for at least three weeks before advancing to a less restrictive tier.

Approximately 32 percent of the county’s population has received at least one vaccine and around 40 percent of the county’s eligible population (16 years of age and over) have received at least one vaccine, Willis said.

The rollout has been especially effective among the county’s elderly population, Willis said.

Approximately 91 percent of residents 75 and over have received at least one vaccine and 76 percent have received two, he said.

As for those over 65, 82 percent have received at least one vaccine and 70 percent have received two.

Marin County has vaccinated 62 percent of its Asian population, 54 percent of its Black population, 66 percent of its Latinx population and 67 percent of its white non-Hispanic population, Willis said.

Willis said the county is preparing the launch of an outreach campaign to help bring the vaccine to communities that are underserved or hesitant.

Willis’ presentation came on the one-year anniversary of Bay Area health officers gathering in Santa Clara County to announce the nation’s first shelter-in-place orders.

Perhaps the most encouraging news he offered is that the county is currently averaging more than 100 times more vaccinations per day than reported infections.

The county as of Tuesday hadn’t reported a coronavirus-related death in a week, Willis said.

“Those are in fact the ingredients of moving out of the pandemic experience,” Willis said.

“We’re not there yet. It’s going to be at least two more months where we’re going to need to be staying the course, but this is clear hope for the future.”

Marin County residents who have not yet been vaccinated are urged to register at MyTurn California for opportunities throughout the Bay Area and through Marin County’s vaccination website for local opportunities.

Those who are not able to register online can do so by calling the state’s vaccination center at (833) 422-5255 and the county at (833) 641-1988.