ORANGE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #053
Date: November 16, 2020 / Time: 14:30 Hours
State of California Moves County of Orange to More Restrictive Purple Tier Effective
Immediately Residents, Businesses and Events Must Comply Within 24 Hours
Effective immediately under order of Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the County of Orange was moved into the Purple Tier, the state's most restrictive tier. Impacted industries and activities in Orange County will have 24 hours in which to comply with this action and make necessary modifications. The state made this directive to address the significant increase in the number of lab- confirmed COVID-19 cases and protect the state's health care system. The state's press release may be found here.
CDPH has a list of Activity and Business Tiers that are classified by the State to be open, closed or open with modifications with respect to each county on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy website. Orange County residents may search for a business or activity type by visiting https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/ and typing in "Orange" in the County field, entering the business or activity type, and clicking, "GET LATEST STATUS."
School Impacts and the Tier Status
The County of Orange moved to the second least restrictive tier — the Red Tier — on September 8, 2020. Under state guidelines, schools are permitted to reopen for in- person instruction once their county has been in the Red Tier for two consecutive weeks.
As the state has now moved the County of Orange into the more restrictive Purple Tier, K-12 schools that have NOT reopened for in-person instruction will have to remain online. K-12 schools that are currently in a phase-in process to re-open, i.e. within a single campus some grade levels have re-opened while the remaining scheduled to re-open in the next weeks or months, will have to submit a request to continue with CCICOVIDSchools@ochca.com. However, K-12 schools that have fully reopened prior to today for in-person instruction are not required to close.
Higher education institutions under the Purple Tier must close indoor lectures and student gatherings. Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs for essential workers and studio arts, may be open.
What Orange County Residents and Businesses Can Do
There are several steps Orange County residents can do at this time:
- Get Tested for COVID-19
The OC Health Care Agency officials are urging residents, especially those with any symptoms, to get tested for the virus.
COVID-19 testing is now widely available across the county for those who are symptomatic or asymptomatic, with or without insurance, at no cost. Testing takes only a few minutes and results generally come back within two to three days.
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and let close contacts know. A close contact is someone you were within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes within a 24-hour period during the infectious period.
- Stay Home if You Don't Feel Well
Consult with a health care provider. If you do not have a health care provider, please call the OC Health Care Agency's Health Referral Line at 1(800) 564-8448.
- Stay Home When Possible
When you leave the house, avoid crowds and stay 6 feet apart from people not in your household.
- Do Not Gather with More Than 3 (Healthy) Households
Do not mix households; in other words, remain with the same 3 households in all activities.
- Wear a Face Covering
Wear a face covering you are around people not in your household, especially when indoors.
- Wash Your Hands Often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid Touching Your Eyes, Nose and Mouth with Unwashed Hands
- Clean and Disinfect Frequently Touched Surfaces
- Understand and Comply with the State's Guideline for Your Business and Events
Orange County residents may search for a business or activity type by visiting https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/ and typing in "Orange" in the County field, entering the business or activity type, and clicking, "GET LATEST STATUS."
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For questions related to COVID-19, contact the Orange County COVID-19 Hotline at 1(833) 426-6411, visit http://www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus, or follow the HCA on Facebook (@ochealthinfo) and Twitter (@ochealth).
