County to move into the red tier
California reaches the threshold of 2 million coronavirus vaccines in underserved communities
A rules change coupled with improving COVID-19 numbers led California to authorize a major economic reopening Friday, with 13 counties — including Contra Costa — moving into the more permissive red tier.
The shift came as the state hit a goal Friday of vaccinating 2 million people in underserved communities hardest hit by the virus, and — as previously promised — relaxed its reopening rules.
Starting Sunday, Contra Costa
County — along with San Benito and Sonoma counties — will welcome a limited number of customers back to indoor restaurant seating, gyms, museums and more. They join San Mateo,
Marin, San Francisco, Santa
Clara, Napa, Solano and Alameda counties, which also moved out of the most restrictive purple tier in recent weeks.
“It is encouraging to see our data moving in the right direction, and it’s a testament to the hard work Contra Costa residents have put in to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County’s health officer, wrote in a news release. “But it is important that we make healthy choices to keep up our momentum. This pandemic is not over yet.”
Several of the state’s most populous, southern counties, including Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino, also will move to the red tier on Sunday, with some resuming banned activities for the first time in more than six months. On Tuesday, Sacramento, San Diego and 11 other counties are expected to follow.
It all amounts to the largest reopening across the state since last fall, although California’s rules
“This is a great step in protecting members of our community who are at higher risk of contracting or dying from COVID-19.”
remain far stricter than many other states.
The state made it a little easier for counties to advance through its colorcoded tier system on Friday. Because California hit its goal of 2 million vaccines in underserved communities, counties now can move from the purple to red tier with a COVID-19 case rate of 10 per 100,000 people, rather than the prior standard of seven per 100,000.
And starting Saturday, Californians will be able to sip a beer at a brewery without purchasing food. For much of the pandemic, breweries could continue to operate only if they served food with their brews. This week, the state did away with that requirement.
“I think our patrons are going to be excited that they’ll be able to sit on our
patio for a pint without the obligation of buying a meal,” said Adrian Kalaveshi, co-founder of Clandestine Brewing in San Jose.
The change comes as California recorded its lowest number of COVID-19 cases in a week since last fall, according to data compiled by this news organization. For the first time since before Halloween, California recorded an average of fewer than 4,000 cases per day over the past week, less than a tenth of its January peak and nearly 30% fewer than two weeks ago.
But even as it makes progress, the state continues to face COVID-19 vaccine shortages. And juggling limited doses will get even more complicated Monday, when people age 16 to 64 with certain health conditions, public transit workers, homeless people and shelter workers, and jail staff and inmates will be eligible for vaccines.
San Francisco, Alameda,
Contra Costa and San Mateo counties were gearing up Friday to launch vaccination clinics for people in homeless shelters and encampments — a particularly important but daunting task in a region with huge numbers of people without a home.
“This is a great step in protecting members of our community who are at higher risk of contracting or dying from COVID-19,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of health, wrote in a news release. “Many of those with underlying health conditions and disabilities or who are in congregate living settings have had to endure greater isolation this past year for fear of becoming gravely ill from
COVID-19.”
Santa Clara County was one step ahead. The county started vaccinating in homeless shelters March 1, two weeks ahead of the state’s official go-ahead. The county informed the state of its intention to begin vaccinating in shelters, received no response, and after 10 days went ahead with its plans, according to the county Emergency Operations Center.
“We probably pushed the eligibility realm a little bit,” County Executive Jeff Smith said, “but we knew those individuals in jails and homeless shelters were at extremely high risk.”
Contra Costa County, which also is ahead of the state, began vaccinating
jail staff and inmates in response to an outbreak in December.
But county officials acknowledged their efforts depend on getting access to enough vaccine doses. State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly expressed confidence Friday that the state’s supply would increase in the coming weeks, but he could not say by how much or when.
Ghaly also doubled down on the state’s plan to prioritize communities ranked in the bottom quarter of California’s Healthy Places Index, which considers income, education and other factors. Responding to concerns that low-income communities of color that had been hardest hit by the virus were not receiving adequate access to the vaccine, Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month announced the state had set aside 40% of vaccine doses for underserved communities. Once the state administered 2 million doses in those communities Friday, it eased its reopening rules.
But local officials are complaining that metric, which lists 400 ZIP codes for prioritization, leaves out many hard-hit Bay Area neighborhoods.
Ghaly said he met with Bay Area legislators multiple times this week to discuss that issue and looks forward to continuing those conversations. But he gave no indication the state would make a change. Communities in the bottom quarter of the index account for 40% of the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, he said.
“That fact stands,” Ghaly said. “So the focus of making sure we get a commensurate level of vaccine to those communities is key.”
— Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of health