Sacramento Area COVID-19 Update

During the COVID-19 crisis, the counties surrounding the Sacramento Valley have been on a rollercoaster as they try to move toward normalcy. While several counties, including Placer and Sacramento, were seeing a dip in cases and looked poised to continue reopening, the colder weather has changed their future. With cases doubling within a 10-day period in the state, Governor Gavin Newsom decided it was time to take drastic action. On Nov. 16 Newsom moved many counties—including Placer, Sacramento, El Dorado and San Joaquin—into the purple tier, which is the furthest away from reopening according to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

These closures, coupled with the colder weather, have had a negative impact on local restaurants. One establishment in Placer County even initially refused to comply with the order.

Education has also been a struggle, with some counties returning to in-person learning and suffering the consequences of exposure, while others operate on a hybrid system. 

The only surrounding county remaining in the red tier of reopening (the second farthest from reopening) is Amador County. This is because they have roughly seven new cases of COVID-19 a day. Slightly farther south of the Sacramento area, Calaveras County is in the yellow tier of reopening with roughly 6.8 new cases per day. These are relatively low numbers when compared to 15.7 new cases a day in Placer and 17.4 new cases a day in Yolo County.

With these increasing numbers, it is unlikely that we will see any changes soon.

For now, Newsom has implemented a curfew from November 21 until December 21, depending on conditions. This curfew lasts from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. each night. People can still walk dogs, get food to go, and shop for groceries, but the intent is to prevent social gatherings.

But with Pfizer and Moderna both announcing vaccines with up to 95 percent effectiveness, according to The New York Times, an end to the pandemic may finally be in sight.