[Carla Hass, Communications Director for El Dorado County, ]
El Dorado County, in regard to moving to the less restrictive COVID-19 Red tier:
“We’re very happy about the news that El Dorado County will move from the most restrictive Purple tier where we’ve been since November, to the Red tier, which literally opens the door to more services and activities for our residents.
“This move means we regain some sense of normalcy in our lives and brings a level of relief to our small businesses that have borne the brunt of the pandemic. So many of our residents have suffered enormous economic loss due to the shutdown associated with high levels of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths. This change in status gives them a long-awaited economic boost.
“Starting tomorrow, indoor dining is allowed at 25% capacity, gyms can open at 10% capacity, retailers can open at 50% capacity, and movie theaters can reopen at 25% capacity, among other things.
“That said, this is not the time to relax the behaviors that have gotten us to this point. Even with the tens of thousands or residents who have already been vaccinated, it’s imperative that we continue to take the actions to further protect our residents and visitors. These actions – wearing a mask, keeping physical distance from those outside your household and not gathering with large groups of people – will ultimately be the very things that will get us to the next level of normalcy.
“To put a finer point on that issue, we didn’t make this move based on our daily case rate. We were able to make the move to the Red tier based on meeting the County’s overall test positivity rate and that positivity rate in our socioeconomically disadvantaged census tracts each for two consecutive weeks.
“Our case rate remains in the most restrictive Purple tier, so there is more work to be done. But this is very welcome news for our residents and business owners alike.”
