Yolo County Improves To 'Orange' Moderate COVID-19 Alert Tier
DAVIS (CBS13) — Yolo County has become the first area in the Greater Sacramento region to move into the Orange (moderate) COVID-19 alert tier.
Several changes in tiers were announced on Tuesday, with a large part of the state now in less restrictive tiers of reopening.
The upgrade to Orange means that Yolo County can further relax some guidelines on indoor businesses. Places like places of worship, theaters and restaurants can open to 50 percent capacity in the Orange tier.
County leaders still stressed caution as the region reopens further.
"We run the risk of undoing our hard-earned progress if we let down our guard now," said Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson in a statement on the move into the Orange tier.
One of the biggest changes when a county reaches the Orange tier is arguably to professional sports. According to state guidelines, outdoor sports venues can reopen to 20 percent capacity.
Restrictions on outdoor live events will also be relaxed after April 1, per state guidelines announced earlier in the month.
Yolo was also joined by Lassen, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Trinity counties in moving to the Orange tier. Nevada and Stanislaus counties, which have been lingering in the most-restrictive Purple tier, were upgraded to the less-restrictive Red (substantial) COVID-19 alert tier on Tuesday.
One eight counties remain in the Purple tier.
As of Tuesday, according to the state's numbers, California has seen 3,549,101 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. A total of 56,596 people have died from coronavirus in California.