County stays in red tier

Daily cases are experiencing slight rise, officials say

As Yolo County’s daily COVID-19 cases are experiencing a slight rise locally, the county is moving forward in meeting a new health equity metric introduced by the state last week.

Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate as part of the state’s reopening framework. There are four tiers — Tier 1 or widespread transmission, Tier 2 or substantial transmission, Tier 3 or moderate transmission, and Tier 4 or minimal transmission. These tiers are also color coded.

The county moved into Red Tier 2 last week, which indicates substantial transmission. Interim Health Director Larissa May told the county Board of Supervisors during Tuesday’s meeting that although current rates meet the criteria for the next and less restrictive Orange Tier 3, counties must spend a minimum of three weeks in each tier. Oct. 20 is the soonest Yolo County will be eligible to change tiers.

The county is reporting 2,893 total COVID-19 cases, with 14 new cases reported Monday. So far, 56 people have died and 189 have been hospitalized since the pandemic hit in early March.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has acknowledged that COVID-19 infections and deaths have dispro

portionately affected poorer areas, often overlapping with communities of color and essential workers.

Now, the state has introduced a new health equity metric, a third test that will decide in which of the COVID-19 tiers a county falls into, as well as which business and public sectors can reopen.

To identify communities that are most affected, the state health department will use the California Healthy Places Index, which then grades them on a score based on socioeconomic hurdles like income, race and ethnicity, and access to health care.

The new health equity metric, announced on Sept. 30, will be checked alongside the two already existing metrics — rates of new cases and shares of tests that come back positive.

According to May, Yolo County’s current adjusted case rate is 3.1 and the test positivity rate is 2.5%.

While these figures are enough to move the county into the next tier, the county must first remain in the red tier for three weeks, or until Oct. 20.

With the new health metric, the county must also submit a plan to the state by Oct. 13 that defines how it will be focusing its COVID-19 related-resources on disproportionally impacted communities.

May also said recent daily cases have slightly increased locally.

“The numbers are small but we are keeping an eye on that,” May said. “The evidence continues to suggest the majority of cases are still resulting from family and social gatherings.”

Part of the increase may be due to the return of UC Davis students to the community. According to May, UC Davis has moved in all returning students and is continuing surveillance testing.

As of Monday, 17 confirmed cases related to UC Davis has been confirmed by the surveillance testing.

UC Davis will not be reopening dining commons or gyms. However, the athletics department is preparing a return to practice and competition.

“What they’re planning right now is a phased approach that’s following the NCAA guidance for testing,” May said. “They’re also limiting travel, preferring local travel when possible, very limited air travel and minimizing overnight stays.”

The county is also gathering solutions and planning a potential program to vaccinate homebound residents for influenza. Patients are considered homebound if they have a condition due to an illness or injury that restricts their ability to leave their place of residence.

According to May, the Infectious Diseases Prevention team has reached out to some local service providers for homebound residents. The providers that have been contacted so far include Meals on Wheels, Davis Community Meals and the Yolo County Aging Alliance.

For Meals on Wheels, the plan is to have drivers deliver fliers to impacted residents.

“This would be an innovative model because there are no other counties that are doing this type of door-todoor campaign,” May said.

May also added that the program will start as soon as possible but is still in the planning process.

“I’m very excited about this,” Supervisor Don Saylor said. “We’ve had constituents come forward and ask for vaccines to be delivered home.”