OC is one of 28 counties moving back to purple tier

FROM THE GOVERNOR

As of Monday, Orange County was one of 28 counties being moved back to the most restrictive tier of California’s matrix governing business operations. Out of the state’s 58 counties, 41 are now in the restrictive purple tier, which limits capacity at retail establishments, closes fitness centers and mandates outdoor-only service at restaurants.

Orange County had been in the slightly less-restrictive “red” tier of the four-level matrix, but rising daily COVID-19 case numbers changed that.

County officials reported 380 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths Monday, bringing totals to 65,605 cases with 1,526 fatalities. Seal Beach has 333 cases as of Monday, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced changes in the way counties will be classified in the matrix. Counties that have spiking virus metrics can now move backward in the state’s four-tier reopening matrix after one week, not the previous two-week requirement.

Counties can also now move back multiple tiers if needed, and counties that move backward must require industry restrictions immediately, not in three days.

Newsom said daily COVID- 19 case rates have doubled over the past 10 days, the highest increase the state has seen since June. The state has 11 “surge facilities” that can be activated to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed in particularly hard-hit areas, the governor said.

California has taken additional steps to prepare the state for an increase in COVID-19 cases. The state has developed more testing capacity to allow cases to be quickly identified, recently opening a new laboratory in Valencia that is already processing thousands of tests a day. The state is averaging 164,345 tests over the last seven days.

The state has been working in partnership with hospitals, clinics and physicians on the COVID-19 response. To support California’s health care-delivery system, the state has an additional 1,872 beds available at care sites outside of the system that can be made available quickly if needed.

For more information, visit covid19.ca.gov.