Santa Barbara County moves to orange tier for first time

For the first time since the state’s implementation of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening guidelines, Santa Barbara County is in the orange, “moderate spread” tier, allowing an ease in restrictions for many business sectors.

click to enlarge Santa Barbara County moves to orange tier for first time
SCREENSHOT FROM BLUEPRINT FOR A SAFER ECONOMY
ORANGE ALLOWANCES: Santa Barbara County’s new orange tier status allows many businesses to increase their maximum capacity and bring more patrons indoors.

As of April 20, the county’s adjusted case rate sat at 4.5, its positivity rate at 1.8 percent, and its health equity metric at 1.7 percent. The latter two metrics already meet yellow tier thresholds, but with the case rate in the orange, the county won’t move all the way to the “minimal spread” tier just yet. The case rate will need to reach less than two daily new cases per 100,000 population to be in the yellow zone.

With the move into the less restrictive tier comes changes in capacity allowances, which can be found in detail on the California Department of Public Health’s website. 

Retail stores could only operate at 50 percent under the red tier, but in the orange tier can return to normal capacity. Places of worship can now be at 50 percent capacity indoors, compared with 25 percent before. Gyms and fitness centers can operate at 25 percent capacity, up from 10 percent. Restaurants can fill up to 50 percent of their indoor seating, while wineries, breweries, and distilleries can open indoors up to 25 percent capacity and are no longer required to operate on a reservation-only system. Bars where no meal is provided can now reopen for outdoor service.

As of the April 20 tier assignments, there are no purple tier counties in California. More than 87 percent of the state’s population lives in an orange tier county, according to the Blueprint, but San Luis Obispo County just missed meeting orange tier thresholds as its case rate is 6 percent, 0.1 percent too high. Santa Barbara County’s other immediate neighbors, Kern and Ventura counties, were moved to the orange tier in the previous assignment. 

As COVID-19 metrics continue to improve, the county’s vaccination efforts remain in full force. Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso said at an April 16 COVID-19 update that 49 percent of community members 16 and older in Santa Barbara County have their first dose or a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Twenty-three percent of the population is fully vaccinated. 

The county’s efforts are roughly on par with the state as a whole: According to an LA Times vaccine tracker, a little more than 42 percent of Californians had received a first dose as of April 20, and nearly 26 percent are fully vaccinated.

Do-Reynoso said reaching herd immunity will require 80 to 90 percent of the population to be vaccinated.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to stop the spread of the virus within our community,” she said. “Targeted outreach efforts have taken place throughout the county to assure all community members are aware of the vaccine, as well as how to access an appointment. Our goal is to provide opportunities for our entire community to be vaccinated.”

In addition to county-run community vaccination sites, Do-Reynoso said the department initiated five mobile clinics throughout the county “to serve community groups and individuals who are unable to come to a community vaccination site.” 

Three of those clinics are based in Santa Maria, one in Lompoc, and one in Santa Barbara. Community members can email [email protected] or visit the Public Health Department’s website for more information.

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