Placer County coronavirus risk downgraded by state. Which businesses can now reopen?
The state of California downgraded Placer County to a less restrictive tier in the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system Tuesday, meaning more businesses and places of worship can reopen.
After weeks in the red tier where the risk of COVID-19 is considered “substantial,” Placer County was moved to the “moderate” orange tier, according to state public health officials.
The county reported 3.9 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and a 2% positivity rate that remained stable over the last two weeks. And in the state’s newest equity metric, aimed at improving conditions in the hardest hit neighborhoods, Placer County reported a 2.5% positive test rate.
According to the county’s dashboard, there are 11 confirmed cases in Placer County hospitals, and one of those is hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
The downgrade means churches and places of worship can resume indoor service as long as they limit to 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer, according to the state’s guidelines.
Gyms can now reopen indoors at 25% capacity. Bars that do not serve food may open for outdoor service only, and wineries can open indoor service up to 25% capacity.
Libraries, indoor play centers, and movie theaters are also permitted to open with restrictions to allow for social distancing.
“Today we celebrate Placer’s move into the orange tier,” said interim public health officer Dr. Robert Oldham. “This move will benefit our businesses with additional flexibility and is the result of our residents coming together to do their part in limiting the spread of COVID in our community.”
“While we celebrate this milestone, we really want to continue our good progress against COVID as we move into cooler weather and the holiday season,” he added. “We are asking each member of our community to help us stay on the right track by taking simple precautions like masking up and keeping our distance. Let’s all look out for one another so we can continue to safely reopen.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 1:33 PM.