Only three counties remain in purple tier

As millions of Covid vaccine doses are distributed in California and the number of new Covid cases continues to drop, only three of the state’s 58 counties remain in the most restrictive tier on the state’s reopening tier system.

San Joaquin, Inyo and Merced counties remained in the purple or “widespread” tier as of Tuesday, according to the California Department of Public Health. Thirty-six counties were in the red or “substantial” tier and 17 were in the orange or “moderate” tier. Alpine and Sierra counties were the only two that had made it to the yellow or “minimal” tier.

Under the state’s guidelines, schools can offer in-person instruction after remaining out of the purple tier for 14 days. Schools in counties in the purple tier may offer in-person instruction to kindergarten and elementary students as long as the “average adjusted case rate” is below 25 cases per 100,000 population per day in that county, and they file a Covid Safety Plan.