Making a move out of the most restrictive purple tier, the California Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that Stanislaus County has met the requirements to move into the Red Tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This change is based on the accelerated health equity metric with a percentage of positive tests (5.0 percent, the exact number being 4.96 percent) and health equity metric (4.5 percent). In alignment with the State’s framework, most businesses can resume modified indoor operations effective Wednesday, March 24.
The following activities as authorized under the State’s Red Tier can resume on Wednesday, March 24 in accordance with State capacity limits and modifications.
• Restaurants, movie theaters, zoos, museums, higher education indoor lectures can resume at 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less.
• Retail stores and shopping centers can operate at 50 percent capacity. Grocery stores can operate at full capacity.
• Gym and fitness center indoor capacity is limited to 10 percent.
• Go to covid19.ca.gov for more information about Red Tier activities.
“Our residents have once again stepped up and helped us move forward through their efforts in controlling the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, Public Health Officer. “However, we cannot let our guard down. We could easily slip back into purple tier if we do not stay vigilant. With the increased mixing that comes with businesses opening, there will be increased spread unless we consistently do those actions we know will stop the spread of COVID-19. We must continue to give space to others, wear a mask, wash hands often, and get tested frequently so our community can get back to work and start recovering from the pandemic.”
Public Health is working with various community-based organizations to ensure testing and educational resources are available in all communities within Stanislaus County. Public Health asks community members to continue following safety guidelines to help keep the entire community safe and protected from COVID-19:
Get Tested. Testing remains a vital surveillance tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and helps us advance to the next tier by improving the overall percent positive tests and the State’s “adjustment” of the County’s case rate.
Wear a mask. Wearing a mask when in public or around those who are not a part of your household will help stop the spread.
Maintain and safe distance from others. Keeping a safe distance from those who do not live with you is effective at keeping the coronavirus away.
Avoid crowds. The fewer people you encounter or interact with, the lower the chance the virus will spread.
Move activities outdoors. Outdoor activities are far safer than indoor activities due to better ventilation.
Get vaccinated when it is your turn. All federally authorized vaccines work extremely well at preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Stanislaus County Public Health continues to work closely with all its partners in the Emergency Operations Center to address the COVID‐19 pandemic through guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and other partners. For more information on the cases in Stanislaus County, visit www.schsa.org/coronavirus.
