Orange County Now Meets 2 Key Metrics To Move From Purple Tier Into Red Tier
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County was closer to moving out of the purple tier of the state's coronavirus monitoring system Tuesday, as the weekly update from the state showed that it meets key criteria to enter the red tier.
The county's test positivity rate improved from 7.8% last week to 5.4% Tuesday, and the adjusted case rate per 100,000 on a seven-day average with a seven-day lag improved from 20.7 to 11.9. The Health Equity Quartile Positivity Rate, which reflects the rates in lower-income and minority neighborhood hot spots, improved from 10.7% to 7%.
To get to the red tier, the county has to have a positivity rate of 5 to 8%, a case rate per 100,000 of 4 to 7 and a Health Equity Quartile rate of 5.3 to 8%.
Under the red tier, more businesses and organizations would be able to reopen. Retail stores could allow half capacity inside instead of 25%, and museums, zoos and aquariums could reopen for indoor activities at 25% capacity.
Also, movie theaters, gyms and restaurants could open indoors at 25% capacity.
On Tuesday, the county reported 250 new COVID-19 cases and no additional fatalities.
The new numbers brought the county's caseload to 245,135 while the death toll remained at 3,848.
Hospitalizations in the county also continued a downward trend. On Tuesday, the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus dropped from 556 to 538.
The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care also decreased, dropping from 179 to 152, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The county has 18.9% of its ICU beds available and 61% of its ventilators.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)