What you can and can’t do in SLO County under new ‘red tier’ rules
Restaurants in San Luis Obispo County can once again serve food indoors, movie theaters can reopen and places of worship can offer inside services once more.
Effective Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County is in California’s red COVID-19 tier — meaning that coronavirus spread has been “substantial” but is no longer “widespread” and more business sectors may reopen.
Local public health officials are cautiously optimistic as San Luis Obispo County moves from the state’s purple tier to red, but the change could be short-lived if recent spikes above 20 cases a day persist.
“While we celebrate this small success, we must stay vigilant,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a news release. “Our progress depends on each person in SLO County. We need everyone to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”
All data and tier assignments released Tuesday are based on results from the two weeks ending Sept. 12, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The county met the two red-tier requirements — a case rate below seven new cases per 100,000 people and a testing positivity rate below 8% for two consecutive weeks — from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12, according to the state.
San Luis Obispo County’s population is 278,862. To achieve a case rate below seven cases per 100,000 people, the county needs fewer than 19.5 new cases per day.
The case rate was adjusted by the number of tests a county conducts on average per day, according to the county. In San Luis Obispo County, that is about 356.3 tests per 100,000 people per day.
San Luis Obispo County had an average of 4.8 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day between Aug. 30 and Sept. 12, according to the California Department of Public Health. The case rate, which has been adjusted due to high testing, was 3.5.
The testing positivity rate, according to the state, was at 1.5% during those two weeks.
What will change in the red COVID-19 tier?
These businesses will be able to expand their services or reopen immediately:
- Retail may increase indoor capacity from 25% to 50%.
- Shopping centers (malls, destination centers, swap meets) can increase indoor capacity from 25% to 50% and reduced capacity food courts.
- Personal care services are allowed to open indoors.
- Museums, zoos and aquariums are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25%.
- Places of worship are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
- Movie theaters are allowed to open indoors with maximum capacity of 25% of 100 people, whichever is fewer.
- Hotels and lodging are now allowed to open fitness centers at 10% maximum capacity.
- Gyms and fitness centers can open indoors at 10% maximum capacity.
- Restaurants can serve guests indoors with max capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
Schools may reopen in person after two weeks of the county being in the red tier, according to state guidelines.
On Monday, the county also lifted a local ordinance that banned visitors from skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facility residents may now have one visitor at a time, according to the county. However, it is unclear whether local skilled nursing facilities will change their current no-visitation policy.
Despite the reopening potential, Borenstein said it is best to keep all operations outdoors if possible.
“Outdoor operations remain the safest environment to slow the spread of COVID-19 and should be supported whenever feasible,” Borenstein said in the release. “If we see an increase in the spread of COVID-19 here, we will move back to purple, and most indoor operations will close again very soon.”
What’s next for SLO County?
If the county’s case rate and testing positivity rate continues to improve, it could move to the orange tier after staying in the red tier for three weeks.
A county must remain in a tier for at least three weeks before progressing to the next phase, according to state guidelines. However, it can slide back into the more restrictive tier in less time.
In order to move down to the “moderate” or orange tier, the county would need to have a case rate below 3.9 and a testing positivity rate below 4.9 for two consecutive weeks.
To achieve a case rate below 4, the county will need fewer than 13.6 new cases per day.
Tuesday’s metrics show that San Luis Obispo County meets both requirements to reach the orange tier, but the county will need to maintain that, and a recent uptick in cases may disrupt forward progress.
According to the county, San Luis Obispo County residents should prepare for a “potential backslide” into the purple category because cases have spiked above 20 new cases per day several times since Sept. 12.
The county reported 15 new cases on Tuesday, after tallying 78 over the weekend.
Many coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County have been a result of person-to-person spread due to gatherings among several households, according to the county.
The county advised that all residents continue to wear face coverings, avoid gathering with people outside their household, stay six feet apart from other households and wash their hands frequently.
If the county’s case rate or testing positivity rate is higher than the red tier requirements — more than seven new cases per 100,000 people or if testing positivity rate is above 8% — it will be moved back to the purple tier where it will stay for at least three weeks.
This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 12:26 PM.
CORRECTION: This story originally listed an incorrect number of new cases on Tuesday.
