Stanislaus County remains under coronavirus restrictions. But ‘We are on the right path.’
Stanislaus County remains in the coronavirus tier with the tightest restrictions while posting a lower number of cases this month.
The state reported Tuesday that Marin, Inyo and Tehama counties were allowed to move from “purple” to “red” in the color-tier system for reopening, leaving 30 of the state’s 58 counties in the category where COVID-19 disease is considered widespread.
With 28 new cases Tuesday, Stanislaus was under 100 cases for the seventh consecutive day, according to the county’s online dashboard. The county reported three additional deaths Monday and four deaths Tuesday, raising the total to 317.
The state uses an adjusted case rate in assigning counties to the purple, red, orange and yellow color tiers and determining what types of businesses can reopen. In an update Tuesday, Stanislaus had an adjusted rate of 9.4 daily cases per 100,000 population. The rate needs to be 7 per 100,000 to move into a less restrictive tier.
At 5.6 percent, the county’s positivity rate met the state’s criteria of 8 percent. Counties must meet both of the primary data requirements for two weeks before restrictions are relaxed. The county won’t change tiers anytime before an update Sept. 29.
Under the red tier, schools and libraries can open with precautions, as well as clothing stores, indoor restaurants, movie theaters, worship services and gyms with partial capacity.
“We are seeing the numbers are going down,” said Kamlesh Kaur, spokesperson for the county’s emergency operations center. The county’s own data dashboard showed a testing positivity rate above 9 percent, she noted.
“It is a promising sign we could get out of the (purple) tier,” Kaur said. “We will have to see where we fall in the next week or so. ... I would just encourage the community to continue what they are doing. We are on the right path.”
No post-Labor Day weekend spike seen yet
There was no sign yet of a spike in coronavirus infections tied to Labor Day weekend. Typically, a spike would materialize two or three weeks after a holiday, so it should be apparent next week, Kaur said.
The county’s health agency believes the lower numbers are due to community residents following guidelines such as wearing a face covering, hand hygiene and keeping 6 feet away from others. “When I am out, I don’t see a lot of crowding,” Kaur said.
People are still getting tested to see if they have COVID-19, but fewer results are coming back positive, she added.
California Health and Human Services secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said it’s good to see an improvement in numbers in Central Valley counties, which were struck hard by COVID-19 this summer and have fewer hospital resources than the state’s largest urban centers.
Though hospitalizations were at 79 COVID-positive patients in Stanislaus, the lowest number in September, local hospitals had only eight intensive care beds available while caring for coronavirus patients and others with serious medical problems.
The county will continue to face challenges to keep the numbers down as some schools reopen under waivers and the virus is still “widespread” in the community, which typically means you can catch it at work, a party or anywhere people gather.
Ghaly said at a news conference that Halloween festivities in six weeks will trigger a new set of contagious disease guidelines to promote safe activities. Families should plan accordingly to limit gatherings.
“All things are pointing to quite a different Halloween,” Ghaly said.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 4:29 AM.
