California

California's Four-Tiered, Color-Coded Coronavirus System Explained

After the state lifted its Regional Stay-at-Home Order in January, California returned to a system based on conditions in each county. Here's what to know.

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It can be dizzying to keep up with the latest coronavirus news: What tier is my county in this week? Purple, red, orange, yellow? What kind of businesses are open? What remains closed?

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was "pulling an emergency brake" due to an increase in numbers. Forty-one of California's 58 counties or 94% of the state's population were reclassified into the state's most restrictive tier: purple.

The governor also mentioned that states will roll back or move forward within these tiers after one week, not two weeks, and businesses must modify and comply with the imposed restrictions immediately. You can view Newsom's full announcement here.

As conditions continued to get worse, the state rolled out a Regional Stay-at-Home Order in December. That order was lifted Jan. 25, meaning a return to restrictions based on conditions in each county.

Take a look at the document below to see a breakdown of the state's four-tiered, color-coded coronavirus system and what it means for you.

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