Yuba County could move into less restrictive tier

At least one county in the Yuba-sutter area appears to be headed for a new tier designation next week as local case counts continue to improve.

Bi-county Public Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu said it looks like Yuba County will be redesignated into the red tier next Tuesday. Being moved from the state’s purple tier (most restrictive) to the red tier will allow for indoor dining at restaurants at 25 percent capacity, or 100 people, whichever is lower.

“Sutter County’s test positivity rate is low enough to qualify moving into the red tier, but not its daily case count,” Luu said. “However, I have advocated to (the California Department of Public Health) to allow Sutter County to move into the red tier along with Yuba County as both communities are so intertwined. We will have to await CDPH’S decision.”

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 14 on Thursday, bringing the area’s total to 2,916 cases.

Nine people were hospitalized as of Thursday evening, while eight residents recovered from the virus. Nineteen local residents have died due to the virus to date.

Heading into the latter half of the year with holidays, colder weather and the flu season, Luu said it’s more important than ever for residents to continue practicing the safety tenets to protect themselves and others.

“We don’t want to ease up, get others sick, and have to take steps back, as other counties have had to do,”

Luu said. “Let’s keep social distancing, wearing facial covering, avoiding social gatherings, staying home when sick, and getting tested when we have any symptoms. Also, don’t forget to get your flu shot to avoid a ‘twindemic’ – we know that you can get sick with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, leading to more severe symptoms.”