State Updates COVID-19 'Blueprint' to Help Counties Maintain Current Tier

By Paso Robles Press · Thu Apr 15 2021

SLO County recovered cases hits 20,401 with 196 active cases 

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) most recent statistics on COVID-19, including updated data and tiers for reducing COVID-19 in the state under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

All counties are under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. As always, local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state. 

Blueprint Summary as of Apr. 13

• 0 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier
• 22 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier
• 33 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier
• 3 counties in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Blueprint Tier Assignments

Four counties are moving to a less restrictive tier, although local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state. From Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial): Inyo. From Red (substantial) to Orange (moderate): Kern and Lake. From Orange (moderate) to Yellow (minimal): Lassen. No counties moved to a more restrictive tier. One county remains in the Purple (widespread) tier, 21 in the Red (substantial) tier, which is where San Luis Obispo County remains for the time being; however, according to the numbers, the county is expected to move into the Orange Tier next week. 33 in the Orange (moderate) Tier and three are in the Yellow (minimal) tier.

On Apr. 13, the calculations accounted for a change in the Blueprint framework that helps counties maintain their current tier status despite minor changes in data. A county must have both a case rate and a testing positivity rate in a more restrictive tier for two consecutive weeks before potentially being assigned to a more restrictive tier. CDPH now also reviews hospitalization data before making the final assignment.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week that due to California surpassing a significant milestone by administering more than 20 million vaccine doses, and with hospitalizations continuing to steadily decline, the state is ready to move into the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery by “moving beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy” by Jun. 15. 

Vaccine Eligibility Update

As of Apr. 1, individuals aged 50+ are eligible to make an appointment, and individuals 16+ will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on Apr. 15. To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, visit RecoverSLO.org/vaccines

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment, or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Apr. 14

• California has 3,606,882 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
• There were 2,487 newly recorded confirmed cases Tuesday.
• The 7-day positivity rate is 1.7 percent.
• There have been 56,837,538 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 115,110 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
• There have been 59,372 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
• As of Apr. 14, providers have reported administering a total of 23,760,123 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 29,888,030 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

San Luis Obispo County as of Apr. 14

• 20,857 total cases since March 2020
• 30 new cases 
• 196 active cases 
• 5 cases in the hospital (2 in ICU) 
• 20,401 recovered cases, at a 98 percent recovery rate
• 256 deaths 0.012 percent death rate (difference being the 200 active cases)