All Central Coast counties to increase restrictions as COVID cases skyrocket

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced that state health officials are “pulling an emergency brake” on California’s COVID-19 pandemic response, increasing restrictions in 40 counties including the entire Central Coast and Bay Area as the state’s daily cases doubled over the past 10 days.

41 counties are now in the state’s most restrictive “purple” tier for economic reopening. This includes Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties

Newsom specifically addressed a number of counties in the Bay Area moving multiple tiers backwards this week, with San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties moving to the Red Tier, and Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Santa Clara counties moving to the Purple Tier.

Governor Newsom cut to the chase quickly during his regular update on COVID-19, noting at the outset that the state was experiencing the fastest increase in cases since the pandemic began in March.

“Daily cases, though, in the state of California have doubled just in the last 10 days. This is simply the fastest increase California has seen since the beginning of this pandemic,” Newsom said.

Previously, the fastest increase had taken place between June 15 and June 21 when cases jumped 39.2 percent. Newsom said that in the first week of November, California’s COVID-19 cases saw a 51.3 percent increase.

The governor said the huge jump was leading state health officials to institute some immediate changes to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, noting Newsom that 40 counties would be moving backwards in the system this week with some counties moving back from the Orange Tier to the Purple Tier.

“We are now moving backwards, not forwards,” said Newsom. “Last week was an indication, an early indication of some movement in a more restrictive direction.”