As COVID cases decline, is Fresno closer to lifted restrictions? What latest data means
Fresno County and neighboring Valley counties continue to see improvement in their coronavirus data, with the daily rate of new cases and positive tests both on the decline.
But it’s not enough – not quite yet, at least – for the state Department of Public Health to give them a green light to expand the reopening of businesses from restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the counties.
In Tuesday’s latest update of Cailfornia’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Fresno County and its neighbors remained stuck in purple Tier 1 of the state’s color-coded system that governs business reopenings based on risk of viral transmission. The purple tier represents what is considered “widespread” risk for the virus to spread in the community.
The state reported that in the week ending Feb. 20, Fresno County had a daily average of 14 new cases per 100,000 residents. That’s down from 16.6 new daily cases the previous week – but it’s still double the daily average of seven cases per 100,000 residents that counties must meet or beat to graduate into the less restrictive red Tier 2, denoting “substantial” risk in the state’s blueprint.
Fresno County does meet two other measures that the state uses to make its weekly tier assignments. Tuesday’s update shows that over the reporting week ending Feb. 20, 6% of residents who took coronavirus tests had results that were positive for the infection – handily coming in below the threshold of 8% to reach the red tier.
A third measure, a “health equity” metric, requires that counties strive to ensure that testing positivity rates in low-income or disadvantaged census tracts don’t lag behind the overall county average. To move from purple to red, testing positivity in those neighborhoods must dip below 8%; Fresno County is now at 7.1%.
A county must meet all three measures for two weeks before it can move into a less restrictive tier.
Like Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties also remain in purple Tier 1. Mariposa County is the only Valley county in a less restrictive tier, remaining in red Tier 2.
In the purple tier, restaurants are limited to take-out orders or outdoor dining and barred from serving diners indoors, although some establishments have been operating in defiance of that order. Similarly, fitness clubs and gyms are supposed to be limited to outdoor operations. Churches can hold services indoors, but only at up to 25% of their capacity. Retail stores can be open, also at up to 25% capacity. All businesses are required to maintain physical distancing and have both staff and customers wear face coverings.
In the red tier, both restaurants and gyms are authorized to reopen for indoor service with capacity limits. Retail stores can expand operations to 50% of their capacity.
As of Tuesday, 40 of California’s 58 counties are in purple Tier 1; 16 are now in red Tier 2, and two are in orange Tier 3, representing “moderate” risk of spreading the virus. No counties are in yellow Tier 4, denoting “minimal” risk.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 1:42 PM.
