Today, the State of California announced new COVID-19 Tier assignments for counties. Due to increasing case rates, Sacramento County will move back to the more restrictive Tier 1 Purple. Effective at noon on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, the amended Sacramento County Health Order will align with the State’s Purple Tier 1 for allowable activities, which closes certain indoor operations or reduces operational capacity.
Nov. 13, 2020 Sacramento County Health Order
In alignment with Purple Tier 1, the following sectors are permitted for OUTDOOR operations only until further notice. These sectors must still maintain mitigation measures (social distancing, face covering, and sanitization):
- Cardrooms, satellite wagering
- Family Entertainment Centers (e.g. bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages, kart racing, and arcades)
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Movie theaters (maximum 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer)
- Museums, zoos, aquariums
- Places of worship (maximum 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer)
- Playgrounds and recreational facilities
- Restaurants
- Wineries
Bars, pubs, brewpubs and breweries may operate outdoors if they are offering sit-down, outdoor meals. Outdoor operations may be conducted under a tent, canopy, or other shelter as long as no more than one side is closed.
In alignment with Purple Tier 1, the following sectors are open for INDOOR operations. These sectors must still maintain mitigation measures (social distancing, face covering, and sanitization) and specific modifications in parenthesis below:
In alignment with Purple Tier 1, bars, breweries and distilleries are prohibited from operating with the exception of those serving sit-down, outdoor meals.
Schools
In alignment with CDPH requirements, schools (all grade levels) that have reopened for in-person instruction, either under a waiver or while Sacramento County was in Red Tier 2 (September 29 – November 10, 2020), are permitted to continue to conduct in-person instruction. Schools that have not reopened must wait until they are eligible again, either by acquiring a waiver from Sacramento County Public Health (grades TK-6 only) or by waiting until Sacramento County returns to Red Tier 2 for at least two weeks.
If a school was implementing a phased re-opening (e.g., only opened grades K-2 for in-person instruction with set plans to phase in grades 3-6) while Sacramento County was in Red Tier 2, the school site may continue their phased re-opening. This is only applicable to individual school sites. If a district has a phased reopening of their schools, the schools in that district that did not open for in person instruction may not reopen until Sacramento County has returned to Red Tier 2 for two weeks.
Schools conducting in-person instruction must maintain mitigation measures, including social distancing, face coverings, and sanitization, in compliance with schools guidance from CDPH and Sacramento County Public Health.
Tier Advancement
Counties are required to remain in an assigned tier for a minimum of three weeks and must meet the criteria for the next tier for two consecutive weeks before being able to advance to the next tier.
“To advance back into the Red Tier 2, Sacramento County needs to have lower daily case rates. The only way to do that is to do what we know works,” said Sacramento County Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye. “We all have a part in this and we must be committed to social distancing measures in public spaces (6ft apart, wear face coverings, wash hands, etc.) and to avoid gathering with non-household members.”
To learn more about the State’s Tier system and specific allowable activities for Sacramento County, visit the State of California's COVID-19 Blueprint for a Safer Economy website.
For questions about the Public Health Order, call the Public Health hotline at (916) 875-2400.
For more information about the County’s response to COVID-19, visit Sacramento County’s COVID-19 webpage.
