Contra Costa County Moves to Red Tier in California's Reopening Plan
Effective Sunday, March 14
COVID-19 is spreading slower in Contra Costa than during a post-holiday peak a few weeks ago, allowing some business and community activities to resume in the county for the first time since November. The average daily number of new cases in Contra Costa has fallen enough that California on Friday moved the county from the purple tier to the red tier of its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, effective Sunday, March 14.
Contra Costa was poised to enter red tier on Wednesday next week, but will transition a few days earlier after the state met a goal of administering 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in high-risk, economically disadvantaged communities on Friday. That triggered a relaxation of the blueprint's requirements.
On Friday, the county’s adjusted per-capita case rate was 6.7, qualifying for reduced state health order restrictions, including:
- Indoor retail stores and shopping malls may increase their maximum occupancy and grocery stores may operate at fully capacity.
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Retailers can open with modifications – Max 50% capacity. See industry guidance for retail >>
- Colleges and other higher education institutions may reopen indoor lectures, following state health guidance.
- Elementary and secondary schools can reopen for in-person learning without submitting a safety plan to Contra Costa Health Services.
For details and sector-specific health guidance, visit covid19.ca.gov. Contra Costa has also updated its county health orders so they do not create additional restrictions to business or community activities.
Ventilation Guidance for Businesses Operating Indoors
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Contra Costa County Covid-19 Hotline:
(844) 729-8410
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More groups of Californians will become eligible for vaccine on Monday, March 15
More groups of Californians will become eligible for vaccine on Monday, March 15, including public transit workers, people in congregate living situations and people who have health conditions that put them at high risk of serious illness from a COVID-19 infection. Visit covid19.ca.gov for more information.
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Visitation Now Allowed in Senior Congregate Living and Residential Care Facilities
In response to regulations that have been adopted by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Community Care Licensing and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health orders which required congregate living facilities in Contra Costa County to follow specified testing, collaboration, reporting and guidance requirements of the Contra Costa County Health Department have been repealed, effective immediately.
Communal Dining, group activities and other gatherings can resume as long as residents are adhering to the core principles of COVID infection prevention.
➡ Facilities can also allow in room visitation for fully vaccinated residents, even in the purple tier, then once we move to the red tier even unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals in facilities not experiencing an outbreak can have indoor visitation
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Mask Up – Let's Do Our Part to Prevent Another Surge
Contra Costa and all of California is roaring into spring. COVID-19 transmissions are plunging, our schools are making reopening plans and we expect state health orders to allow more business and community activities to resume any day now.
But it is hard to forget that, just a few weeks ago, the whole country was suffering through the deadliest surge of the pandemic. We can’t let it happen again.
That is why Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) encourages everyone to keep up the good work and use face coverings whenever they go out. It’s something we can all do to protect ourselves and each other, and there’s new advice from California that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask is even more effective at keeping the wearer safe from COVID-19.
Some view our country’s improving pandemic data, along with the promise of safe, effective, and more-available COVID-19 vaccine, as reason to relax our guards, drop our masks and return to pre-pandemic life. But no vaccine is perfect, and there is no guarantee that the highly effective vaccines we now use will work as well against future variants of the COVID-19 virus.
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The Lafayette Chamber is providing COVID-19 business and community resources through a number of channels. Please visit the following for further information: |
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VISIT OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
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Lafayette businesses and non profits have the opportunity to obtain FREE guidance on how to apply for COVID-19 relief funding. If you have not already done so, please sign up for the FREE services through the City of Lafayette:
Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (TPA) has been contracted by the City of Lafayette to provide this free service to City of Lafayette Businesses. Learn more here:
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Please note: to signup you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Virtual Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
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