District 5 Update: New State Monitoring System & Additional Business Openings

 

State announces new COVID-19 monitoring system –

Additional businesses allowed to open in Marin

Today, Governor Newsom introduced Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a four-tier framework by which counties will be measured for loosening and tightening COVID-19 restrictions on activities and business operations. The framework replaces the previous “county monitoring list” and looks at case rates and testing positivity rates at a more granular level while factoring in equity indicators such as high testing rate in disproportionally impacted areas.

Most counties, including Marin, that were on the state’s monitoring list prior to the adjustment were placed on the first, “purple” tier, signaling a COVID-19 incidence of more than seven new cases per day per 100,000 people. Although Marin is ranked purple for now, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed Marin will move into the second, “red” tier, in an abbreviated timeline due in part to Marin County Public Health’s high testing rates, and assuming Marin’s case rate remains stable.

Marin’s “purple” Tier 1 status means that on Monday, August 31 Marin County can reopen indoor shopping centers at maximum 25% capacity, as well as hair salons and barbershops indoors. Hair salons and barbershops are to follow public health guidelines prescribed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology as well as those outlined by Marin Public Health on Marin Recovers.

Schools in counties that fall within the “purple” Tier 1 are not permitted to reopen for in-person instruction unless they receive a waiver from their local health department for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. Marin has submitted 14 school waiver applications to the state for approval, potentially allowing those TK-6 schools to resume in-person operations as early as September 8. However, all Marin TK-6 schools would be eligible for classroom-based operations as early as two weeks after the county officially achieves “red” Tier 2 status.

In addition to the new framework, the California Department of Public Health has adjusted the frequency by which counties are measured, looking at case rates weekly. Counties also will experience longer transition time between tiers: counties will remain in a tier for three weeks before being able to advance to another tier and are only able to move one tier at a time, even if metrics qualify for a more advanced tier. That practice ensures a county is making consistent progress in the right direction while eliminating “flip-flop” openings and closings for businesses.

To learn more about the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, visit the state’s COVID-19 webpage. Review local reopening guidelines at MarinRecovers.com.

 

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