City of Long Beach Public Information Office 411 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802 www.longbeach.gov
8/28/2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 082820
Subject:
State of California Announces Four Risk-Based Tiers to Evaluate COVID-19
Color-Coded Tiers will be Based on Two Key Metrics
Contact:
City of Long Beach Joint Information Center
562.570.NEWS
jic@longbeach.gov
RESIDENTS: Call 562.570.INFO
BUSINESSES: Call 562.570.4BIZ
Long Beach, CA - New measures for monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 were announced by Governor Gavin Newsom today. The color-coded tiers, ranging from purple (widespread) to yellow (minimal), place Long Beach and all of Los Angeles into the purple category. The restrictions for the purple category are similar to being on the monitoring list in the former system.
“As I’ve said from day one, our re-opening will be guided by the data,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “The statewide framework released by the Governor today makes it clear we are making progress.”
The tiered system, part of Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, is based on two key metrics: the number of new cases per day (per 100,000 residents) and the positivity rate (number of positive test results compared to all tests administered). The breakdown for each tier is as follows:
Purple (widespread) - more than seven daily new cases (per 100k); positivity rate greater than 8%
Red (substantial) - four to seven daily new cases (per 100k); 5% to 8% positivity rate
Orange (moderate) - one to 3.9 daily new cases (per 100k); 2% to 4.9% positivity rate
Yellow (minimal) - less than one daily new case (per 100k); less than 2% positivity rate
The calculations for positivity rates and case rates are being revised, per the State. The revised indicators will be on the City’s COVID-19 dashboard starting on Monday, August 31. These revisions may lead to a discrepancy in past data and it should not be compared with previous numbers. Positivity rates and case rates will be assessed and updated every Tuesday; in order to move up a tier, the county needs to sustain the optimal numbers for three weeks. If a county shows data that places them in two different colors, the stricter rules apply.
The new tiers also dictate the reopening phase. Details regarding what’s allowed to be open and what’s closed under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy are available at https://covid19.ca.gov/. While the State outlines, broadly, what is allowed under each tier starting August 31, details regarding what can be open, and protocols for operation, are at the direction of the City Health Officer. Openings of new sectors or changes to current business operations should only occur following the issuance of revised Health Orders from the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.
For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep its residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.