California is expected to give out its four millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday in the state's hardest hit communities and once that happens, it will trigger a reconfiguring of the color-coded tier system.
The more relaxed standards would also mean that Sonoma County could qualify for the orange tier for the first time.
Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase says that the county has hit some bumps in the road recently.
“After seeing our COVID case rate consistently drop over the past two months, we’re now seeing a plateau or even a slight increase. This has somewhat stalled our reopening plans.”
So without the state adjusting its tier system, Sonoma likely will not move to the orange tier anytime soon.
It has stayed firmly in the purple from the moment the system was created last summer until March.
“Even the very slight increase we’ve seen is a troubling sign that COVID is not going away,” said Dr. Mase. “Indeed, it could signal a further wave of cases like the one that’s now hitting Michigan, New York and the New England area.”
That is why she is encouraging everyone in the county to continue to be cautious and get tested if they are not fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile the county is hoping to ramp up its vaccination effort, thanks in part to a new supply of shots from the state.
The county had worried that it would not be able to keep up with the rapid expansions in vaccine access, so Supervisors wrote to the state asking for more shots.
“I’m very happy to report that the state has responded positively to our request,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Lynda Hopkins. “The state will be sending us 1,500 additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which we will be using to continue to prioritize our equity efforts.”
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