El Dorado County to remain in the red tier due to rising COVID-19 case numbers

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - With a recent increase in COVID-19 case rates, El Dorado County did not get the green light to move to a less restrictive tier Tuesday during the weekly California COVID-19 tier updates. Thirteen counties were able to advance, but El Dorado County joined Calaveras, Imperial and Napa counties who have to remain in the red tier due to too many new cases. These four counties were all poised to move to the orange tier their thresholds moved above those required for the move.

Thirteen California counties were able to change to less restrictive tiers.

There is a chance El Dorado and the other three counties can go to the orange tier soon. If the state vaccinates 4 million of the lowest quartile, (currently at 3.4 million), we will be retroactively placed in "orange" before April 6.

As of Monday, El Dorado County's tier assignment measures:
Adjusted case rate: 4.8
Positivity rate: 2.8%
Health equity quartile positivity rate: 3.5%

Needed to move to orange:
Adjusted case rate of 1.0 – 3.9
Positivity rate of 2.0-4.9%
Health equity quartile positivity rate of 2.2-5.2%

The CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, MD, said Monday the county is facing “impending doom” as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise and more states loosen restrictions. Over the last week, positive COVID-19 cases have risen 10 percent, and deaths are up three precent.