When will Ventura County be in the Red Tier?
The state has announced that once 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are administered in the most vulnerable communities in the state that the state will modify the case rate requirements. The case rate requirements are tied into the different colored tiers. If the case rate requirement is adjusted and Ventura County meets the metric we will move to the Red Tier next Wednesday the 17th.
Looking forward. Here’s what can be open (following the state issued guidance for each sector) once the County is in the Red Tier:
- Hair salons: open indoors with modifications
- Retail: open indoors at 50% capacity
- Malls: open indoors at 50% capacity and limited food courts
- Places of worship: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Nail salons: open indoors with modifications
- Electrolysis: open indoors with modifications
- Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoor with modifications
- Tattooing and piercing: open indoors with modifications
- Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors at 25% capacity
- Movie theaters: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Hotels: open with modifications, plus fitness centers can open at 10% capacity
- Gyms: open indoors at 10% capacity 6 feet social distancing
- Restaurants: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer
- Wineries, breweries and distilleries: outdoor only until 8 pm
- Bars: closed
- Family entertainment centers: outdoor only, like mini golf, batting cages and go-kart racing
- Non-essential offices: remote work only
- Professional sports: outdoor only at 20% capacity starting April 1
- Schools: can reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple tier
- Theme parks: can reopen at 15% capacity starting April 1
- Live performances: outdoor only at 20% capacity starting April 1
As of now, how a county is categorized depends on the number of new daily covid cases and the testing positivity rate. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Widespread (purple): Counties with more than 7 daily new cases per 100,000 residents or higher than 8% positivity rate
- Substantial (red): 4 to 7 daily new cases per 100,000 residents or 5-8% positivity
- Moderate (orange): 1 to 3.9 daily new cases per 100,000 or 2-4.9% positivity
- Minimal (yellow): Less than 1 daily new case per 100,000 or less than 2% positivity
Once 2 million vaccine doses have been administered to those living in the “Vaccine Equity Quartile”, a new set of metrics will be used:
- Widespread (purple): Counties with more than 10 daily new cases per 100,000 residents
- Substantial (red): 4 to 10 daily new cases per 100,000 residents
- Moderate (orange): 1 to 3.9 daily new cases per 100,000
- Minimal (yellow): Less than 1 daily new case per 100,000
The County of Ventura has a current case rate of 9.1. If the state administers 2 million doses the County will meet the new state metrics and be in red by March 17.
What can you do to help?
Covid is still spreading in our County. Things are looking better but we all must work together to continue to slow the spread. Wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands frequently, staying home when sick and not gathering are steps that help slow the spread. COVID-19 testing still helps. We can’t let up our guard!
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free  SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
