Blueprint for a Safer Economy
Last updated November 24, 2020 at 7:27 PM
New stay at home requirements for counties in the purple tier
COVID-19 is increasing at alarming rates in California and we all need to do our part to stop the surge. As of November 21, 2020, it is required that all non-essential work and activities stop between 10PM and 5AM in counties in the Widespread (purple) tier. Read more in the limited stay at home order.
California has a blueprint for reducing COVID-19 in the state with revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities.
Understand your county’s status
Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate.
In light of the recent, unprecedented surge in rate of increase of cases, the following changes are effective until further notice:
- Tier assignments may occur any day of the week and may occur more than once a week when the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) determines that the most recent reliable data indicate that immediate action is needed to address COVID-19 transmission in a county.
- Counties may be moved back more than one tier if CDPH determines that the data supports more intensive intervention. Key considerations will include the rate of increase in new cases and/or test positivity, more recent data as noted below, public health capacity, and other epidemiological factors.
- The most recent reliable data will be used to complete the assessment.
- In light of the extreme circumstances requiring immediate action, counties will be required to implement any sector changes the day following the tier announcement.
- Full details on the Blueprint are available in CDPH’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework.
Reopening safely for all communities
COVID-19 has impacted some communities more than others. They face higher rates of infection and death. These include our Latino, Black, Pacific Islander, low income, and essential worker communities.
Counties must address COVID-19 in all communities to open further, including making sure the positivity rate in certain neighborhoods (health equity metric) does not significantly lag behind overall county positivity rates. These efforts need cross-sector and broad partnerships to succeed. The health equity metric is only used to decide whether a county can move to a less restrictive tier. Learn more about this focus on equity.
*Small counties (those with a population less than 106,000) may be subject to alternate case assessment measures for purposes of tier assignment. **Health equity metric is not applied for small counties. The health equity metric is used to move to a less restrictive tier.
Current tier assignments as of November 24, 2020
Tier assignments may occur any day of the week and may occur more than once a week.
All data and tier assignments are based on results from week ending November 18, 2020. See how tiers are assigned and change, as well as county historical data (California Blueprint Data Chart), at CDPH’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework.
Questions and answers
County risk level
Adjusted case rate*
7-day average of daily COVID-19 cases per 100K with 7-day lag, adjusted for number of tests performed
Positivity rate**
7-day average of all COVID-19 tests performed that are positive
Entire county
Healthy equity quartile
Many non-essential indoor business operations are closed
Adjusted cases*
7-day average of daily COVID-19 cases per 100K with 7-day lag, adjusted for number of tests performed
More than 7.0
Daily new cases (per 100k)
Positivity rate**
7-day average of all COVID-19 tests performed that are positive
Entire county
More than 8.0%
Positive tests
Healthy equity quartile
Positive tests
Some non-essential indoor business operations are closed
Adjusted cases*
7-day average of daily COVID-19 cases per 100K with 7-day lag, adjusted for number of tests performed
4.0 – 7.0
Daily new cases (per 100k)
Positivity rate**
7-day average of all COVID-19 tests performed that are positive
Entire county
5.0 – 8.0%
Positive tests
Healthy equity quartile
5.3 – 8.0%
Positive tests
Some indoor business operations are open with modifications
Adjusted cases*
7-day average of daily COVID-19 cases per 100K with 7-day lag, adjusted for number of tests performed
1.0 – 3.9
Daily new cases (per 100k)
Positivity rate**
7-day average of all COVID-19 tests performed that are positive
Entire county
2.0 – 4.9%
Positive tests
Healthy equity quartile
2.2 – 5.2%
Positive tests
Most indoor business operations are open with modifications
Adjusted cases*
7-day average of daily COVID-19 cases per 100K with 7-day lag, adjusted for number of tests performed
Less than 1.0
Daily new cases (per 100k)
Positivity rate**
7-day average of all COVID-19 tests performed that are positive
Entire county
Less than 2.0%
Positive tests
Healthy equity quartile
Less than 2.2%
Positive tests