Public health officials say more than half of the available vaccines now go to the hardest-hit areas.
A change in the level thresholds means that it can lead more quickly to a less restrictive level.
The province was initially expected to progress to the ‘red’ level later this month, with the rate of new daily COVID-19 infections expected to fall below the state urge of 7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants as early as Tuesday. If the country maintains the level for two weeks, it will move out of the “purple” level and into the “red” level.
However, the state last week changed the thresholds for progress through the four-tier blueprint for a safer economy, taking into account the amount of vaccines administered in hard-hit low-income communities across the state.
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The new thresholds could come into effect as early as this week, when the state reaches the milestone of administering 2 million vaccine doses in the hard-hit neighborhoods.
If that happens, a province will have to have a new rate of 10 per 100,000 inhabitants to progress to the ‘red’ level – a LA County tariff will be met for the required two weeks. Ferrer said that means the country is likely to rise to “red” by next week.
‘If this week’s adjusted case rate remains below 10 new cases per 100,000 people, we understand that within 48 hours of the state announcing the vaccination of the vaccine, Los Angeles County, along with other counties with qualifying cases , to the red level, ”LA County Public Health said in a statement. “We are working with the Board of Supervisors and our sector partners to prepare appropriate amendments to the Health Officer Order, reflecting the province’s move to the red level.”
Moving from the restrictive “purple” level to the “red” level will authorize the country to increase capacity constraints at retail establishments and reopen indoor eateries, fitness centers and movie theaters. However, the country is not bound by state guidelines and can still impose stricter rules.
While the province currently allows outdoor dining in the “purple” level, however, restaurants are still banned from turning on television sets on their patio, as a way to prevent gatherings of sports enthusiasts. The state has no such restriction on restaurants.
Meanwhile, vaccination efforts in LA County continue to grow.
A mass vaccination center at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds opened Monday. Officials say it could fire as many as 2,000 shots a day.
“This region has been hit very hard. It’s geographically isolated, transportation is a problem,” said LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
“We are looking across the region to get equity in the Antelope Valley,” she added.
As the number of vaccines nationwide continues to grow, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has facilitated some of the COVID-19 safety protocols.
The fully vaccinated Americans can contract indoors with other vaccinated people without wearing a mask or physical distance, the CDC announced Monday.
The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can get along in the same way – in a single household – with people who are at low risk for serious diseases, as in the case of vaccinated grandparents who visit healthy children and grandchildren.
City News Service and Associated Press contributed to this report.
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