BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County officials said they are optimistic Kern County will soon be able to start the clock to move into the Red Tier in the state's monitoring system.
Kern County Public Health reported 75 new positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday morning and three new deaths.
Public Health Director Matt Constantine said in the Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting that Kern has been seeing a recent downward trend and he believes if these trends continue, the county will soon be meeting the state metrics to move into the Red Tier.
Once the county is meeting those metrics, Kern will have to continue to meet those metrics for 14 consecutive days before moving into the next tier.
Tuesday the state will report Kern's metrics are a case rate of 6.3 and an adjusted rate of 7.2, according to Constantine. Our testing positivity rate is at 6.5%.
Although the state announces county metrics on a weekly basis, County health officials have access to a daily monitoring tool according to Constantine.
"If we were to run that information today, it actually shows that for the first time we are meeting the Red Tier. We have a case rate, using the state tool, of 6 and an adjusted case rate of 6.9," Constantine said.
This information will not be reported out Tuesday but is used as an early indication of where the county is trending. However, if these trends continue into next Tuesday, Kern County will officially be able to start the clock to move into the Red Tier. If Kern continues to meet the metrics for 14 days, then the state will move Kern into the Red Tier.
