Fresno, Valley counties remain in purple COVID-19 business tier. What’s open, closed?
New data from the state shows that the coronavirus situation seems to be improving in Fresno and other Valley counties.
The region emerged Monday from almost two months under a regional stay-at-home order aimed at keeping people from mingling and spreading COVID-19.
But Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties remain in purple Tier 1 of the state’s color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy in the latest tier assignments announced Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health. Tier 1 includes the tightest restrictions on businesses of the four levels in the blueprint, based on assessed risk for spreading the virus in a community. The purple tier denotes “widespread” risk of viral transmission.
Mariposa County is the only Valley county outside of Tier 1, and one of only four statewide. Mariposa County is in red Tier 2, representing “substantial” risk of spreading the virus.
The tier assignments are based on two distinct factors: the average number of new daily cases as a rate per 100,000 residents in a county, and testing positivity — a measure of the percentage of residents tested for whom results come back positive for COVID-19 over the course of a week.
In Fresno County, Tuesday’s report indicates about 58 new coronavirus cases each day per 100,000 residents in Fresno County over the week ending Jan. 16. Two weeks earlier, the new-case rate in the county was 76 per day per 100,000 people — the highest it’s been since the blueprint system was put in place in late August.
The testing positivity rate as of Tuesday was 15.3%, compared with almost 20% two weeks ago.
But before Fresno County can move into the less restrictive red tier, which allows for increased business activity, the case rate would need to plunge to seven or fewer new cases per 100,000 people; the positivity rate needs to fall to 8% or less.
What’s open in the purple tier?
In Tier 1, restaurants are permitted to offer outdoor dining for guests in addition to to-go or delivery orders. Churches and gyms are only allowed to open for outdoor activities.
Grocery stores can be open with a limit of 50% capacity. Other retailers can open indoor operations at up to 25% capacity, as can shopping centers and malls. All sectors are required to operate with masks for customers and staff as well as social distancing.
Farmers markets can remain open with safety modifications. Barber shops, hair salons and other personal care services are also allowed to be open under the purple tier.
Outdoor playgrounds and recreation facilities are also allowed to be open with safety modifications. Recreational enterprises such as museums and zoos, movie theaters, and family fun and entertainment centers such as kart racing, miniature golf or batting cages, can only open for outdoor activities under purple Tier 1.
More adult-oriented recreation including wineries, cardrooms and satellite wagering are also limited to outdoor operations, as they were under the red tier.
Schools that managed to reopen when Fresno County was in red Tier 2 last fall can remain open, as well as those that were granted waivers last fall to open under the purple tier.
Otherwise, schools that had not yet resumed in-person classes won’t be allowed to open until Fresno County returns to the red tier and stays there for two weeks, whenever that happens. Elementary schools can also apply for a waiver from the county and state to reopen even in the purple tier.
In the purple tier, colleges are closed for indoor lectures and student gatherings. Some indoor classes, however, such as lab classes or studio arts, can still be conducted in person.
What’s still closed?
Bars, breweries and distilleries where meals are not served are closed, just as they were under the stay-at-home order. The same thing goes for amusement parks, concert venues, nightclubs, live theater, festivals, convention centers, indoor playgrounds such as bounce centers, ball pits or laser tag.
Saunas and steam rooms are also closed.
Offices in non-essential sectors are expected to be closed and employees working remotely. Other offices, including government agencies, banks and credit unions, among others, can be open, but with the appropriate safety measures.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 4:26 PM.
