SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) – As a majority of the Bay Area moves into the less restrictive red tier, Contra Costa County and Sonoma County are still in the purple tier.
The two counties are currently experiencing more widespread coronavirus cases.
This is a big disappointment for the many people in Sonoma County who’ve been waiting for indoor businesses to reopen.
One supervisor says a lot of it has to do with the county’s make-up of its population, its elderly facilities, and the recent fires.
“It’s really hard not being able to open indoors. We have about 60% the capacity outdoor here, at our patio,” said Dustin Valette, chef-owner of Vallete.
While he’s disappointed the county isn’t progressing like its neighboring counties, he says it’s important to move forward only when it’s safe to do so.
“It’s really hard right now that Sonoma County is still in the purple tier, but I also think we have the opportunity to focus, to not lose sight that we have to be more diligent,” Valette added.
Sonoma County supervisor Susan Gorin agrees and says some of its communities have been hit harder than others.
“We’re pretty widely dispersed, but Santa Rosa in particular, because of its size and diversity, is experiencing significantly more infection rates than other areas of the county,” Gorin said.
She adds that the Labor Day holiday and fires could have also caused more cases.
Gorin also says that the county expanded testing capabilities to help trace the virus and catch it sooner than later.
As Sonoma County works to move to the next tier, Contra Costa is also moving quickly. As of today, the Contra Costa County met the state’s red tier criteria for one week and could move into the red tier as soon as next week.