Four more counties join ‘purple’ tier, bringing total to 45

While California grapples with a weeks-long surge in Covid-19 cases, four more counties have moved to the most restrictive level on the state’s reopening tier system, bringing the total number of “purple” counties to 45 out of 58.

Colusa, Del Norte, Humboldt and Lassen counties moved down to the purple or “widespread” tier Tuesday, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a news conference. Tuesday’s announcement comes a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom pulled an “emergency brake” on indoor activity in the state, pushing the number of “purple” counties from 13 to 41.

The 45 “purple” counties include 913 public school districts, 1,256 charters, and 5,852,251 students — about 96% of the state’s total K-12 enrollment. The four counties that dropped to purple this week have a combined enrollment of 30,603 students.

Though schools in purple counties can’t begin offering in-person instruction, they can continue to do so if they already were offering in-person instruction. However, under the state’s guidance they must increase Covid-19 testing for staff.

The state recommends that all schools that are open for in-person instruction test staff once every two months, or 25% of staff every two weeks. A school in a county that moves back into the purple tier should exceed this.

All schools are required to close when at least 5% of staff and students test positive for Covid-19 within a 14-day period. School districts must close if one-quarter of schools in the districts are closed due to Covid-19 cases. Schools can usually reopen within 14 days after campuses have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, public health contact tracing is completed and the county public health department has given its approval.

Ghaly, on Tuesday, also announced that Calaveras county moved from the orange, or “moderate” tier down to red, or “substantial.” That brings the total number of red counties to eight, down from 11 a week ago.

Alpine and Mariposa counties — the only two in the yellow or “minimal” tier last week — have moved to orange, or “moderate.” That brings the number of “orange” counties to five — up from four last week and down from 17 two weeks ago — and the number of yellow counties to zero.