SJ County moves into next tier of reopening
The rate of COVID-19 transmission in San Joaquin County is now classified as “substantial,” a slight improvement over its recent designation as “widespread.”
The county advanced from the state’s purple tier into the red tier Tuesday, lowering its daily positive case rate to less than seven per 100,000 over a seven day period. Last month, the county had lowered its test positivity rate to less than 8%.
In a media statement released Tuesday, Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County Public Health Officer, thanked residents for helping keep COVID-19 cases low by wearing masks, getting tested and maintaining social distancing.
“If we continue to be vigilant, we can continue to move forward and reopen San Joaquin County,” Park said. “As we start to enter the fall season, it is more important than ever to continue to follow the rules by restricting gatherings, wearing face coverings, washing hands and social distancing, to not only prevent the spread of COVID-19 but to help with flu and other deadly diseases.”
By moving into the red tier, or Tier 2, many businesses can return to indoor operations although with limited modifications.
Shopping malls and retail shops can operate with customer capacity limited to 50%, while movie theaters, places of worship, and restaurants can have a capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is less.
Personal care services such as tattoo parlors, piercing studios, skin care and massage services can all operate indoors with modifications, as can nail salons, hair salons and barbershops.
Gyms and fitness centers can operate with 10% capacity.
Pat Patrick president and CEO of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, said this was good news for businesses in town, many of which had been struggling trying to operate at minimal capacity, particularly restaurants.
“They’ve really been limping along, and this will be a huge shot
in the arm,” he said. “I think for our restaurants, many will be able to return to a normal seating capacity if they have 25% of their customers inside and they continue to serve diners outdoors.”
Patrick hoped that the county could continue to move up through the colored tiers in time for the holidays, when people want to get out of the house and shop.
While the Lodi Street Faire will not be held this weekend, Patrick said Downtown Lodi Businesses will be holding a fall sales kickoff aimed at attracting shoppers back to School Street.
Wineries and family entertainment centers must still operate outdoors, while bars and pubs are not allowed to open, unless they serve meals.
All schools will be allowed to open for some inperson instruction, but only if the county can remain in the red tier for the next two weeks.
On Sept. 18, Dr. Cathy Nichols-Washer, Lodi Unified School District Superintendent, said the district would most likely return to campus using the hybrid model of instruction.
Under the hybrid model, 50% of students would come to campus two days a week. The two days students are not at school, they would participate in distance learning.
Half of the district’s students would attend campus on Monday and Tuesday, and the other half would attend Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, all students would participate in distance learning, Washer said.
“We are pleased to see that our numbers are moving in the right direction and we hope that they will continue to improve,” Washer said in a media statement Tuesday. “We know this brings about many questions. Our previous communication remains in effect. We will continue with all distance learning upon return from fall break. We look forward to welcoming students to school sites in the near future and we will communicate with our community once details are available. Today’s news is very encouraging.”
The county’s move into the red tier comes as it reports 20,357 cases and 447
deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March.
In addition, the state is reporting the county’s reinfection rate is now .75, which means that every resident currently infected has the potential to spread COVID-19 to less than one person.
There are currently 32 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county, and the state is predicting 42 people will be hospitalized by Oct. 29. The state is also predicting the county will have 516 deaths related to COVID-19 by that day.
San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas said it was every educator’s goal to safely return to in-class instruction, and Tuesday’s move into a higher tier brings the county closer to that goal.
“Schools and districts have been preparing by developing plans that align with guidance from state and local health officials to resume in-person learning in an environment that is safe for students and staff,” he said. “If we can keep COVID-19 in check for the next two weeks and remain in the red tier schools and districts in San Joaquin County will be able to consider welcoming students back into their classrooms in a thoughtful and safe way.”
Although most were encouraged by the county’s move into a higher recovery tier, Escondido-based attorney Dean Broyles, who represents Lodi’s Cross Culture Christian Center, said constitutional rights like the freedom of religion should not depend on “arbitrary government line-drawing.”
“While my clients are certainly encouraged the positivity rate has dropped to fewer than 7 per 100,000 county residents, there are certainly no guarantees San Joaquin County will remain in the red or ‘substantial’ category as most health officials are predicting a virus spike in the fall or winter,” he said. “A much better metric to assess the actual threat would be COVID-19 death rates or even hospitalizations.”
Cross Culture Christian Center has been in litigation with Gov. Gavin Newsom since the pandemic began, charging that his stay-at-home orders infringed on their right to assemble for worship.
The church had been meeting at Bethel Open Bible Church on Ham
Lane, and was locked out of the building when the congregation continued to gather for Sunday worship.
Pastor Jon Duncan has been conducting online worship services in recent weeks.
Broyles said Newsom’s tier-based schedule for reopening offer no real light at the end of the tunnel for places of worship.
“Even if a county makes it to the lowest state tier (yellow), houses of worship still can only operate at 50% capacity,” he said. “A pandemic with a 99.96% or better survival rate should not indefinitely suspend fundamental constitutional rights. Tragically, the government’s overreaching actions during the pandemic have wrought incalculable collateral damage to people’s financial and emotional health, including people of faith and houses of worship. This damage will likely far exceed any harm the virus has done or will do.”
There are now 23 counties in California in the red tier, including Sacramento, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Diego.
In order for San Joaquin County to move into the next tier, its needs to reduce its daily case rate to less than 3.9 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period and reduce its test positivity rate to less than 4.9%.
There are 14 counties in the next tier, including Amador, Calaveras, Humboldt and Shasta.
Modoc, Alpine and Mariposa counties remain the only three in the yellow tier, where COVID-19 transmission is considered minimal.
In Tuesday’s media statement, San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathy Miller said the move into the red tier is a step in the right direction.
“It shows that residents are following public health recommendations and their hard work is paying off and enabling the county to finally get the upper hand on COVID-19,” she said. “While I’m cautiously optimistic, we must continue to be diligent in our daily safety routines in order to keep businesses open, get kids back inside schools and get lives back to normal.”