New state coronavirus rules move 13 counties to red. Stanislaus remains stuck in purple.
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California health officials celebrated a milestone Friday as coronavirus vaccinations in disadvantaged communities hit the 2 million mark statewide.
It triggered an adjustment to the state’s reopening plan, which shifted 13 counties from the most restrictive purple tier to red status.
Stanislaus County was not affected and remains under purple tier restrictions disallowing indoor restaurant dining and in-class instruction for high school and junior high students, whose education has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a year.
On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health projects that Sacramento and a dozen more counties will move from purple to red tier status.
Stanislaus won’t make the move Tuesday either.
Counties are required to meet the red tier criteria for two consecutive weeks. A coronavirus case rate of 13.6 cases per 100,000 population in Stanislaus County is too high, even after the state reset the bar Friday at 10 per 100,000, up from 7 per 100,000.
Under the current rules, March 23 is the earliest date Stanislaus could leave the purple tier.
Hard-hit Los Angeles County was one of the jurisdictions that immediately shifted to red with Friday’s announcement. The new case criteria placed Tuolumne County in red because its average case numbers were below 7 per 100,000 two weeks ago and were between 7 and 10 per 100,000 in an update Tuesday.
Purple status continues to place restrictions on restaurants, fitness centers and other businesses in Modesto, Turlock and sister cities in Stanislaus County.
The Modesto Bee will have a broader story on the tier status this weekend.
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
