WESTERN NEW YORK (WKBW) — Several areas of New York state, including Erie County and parts of Niagara County, are under a micro-cluster strategy as COVID-19 cases are rising. There is not one set of markers counties have to hit in order to move into a Yellow, Orange or Red Zone, rather the state breaks down target metrics by geographic area across four "tiers."
TIER 1: Erie County
- YELLOW ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 2.5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 10 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- ORANGE ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 3% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 10 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- RED ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 4% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 10 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
TIER 2: Niagara County
- YELLOW ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 3% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 12 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- ORANGE ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 4% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 12 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- RED ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 12 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
TIER 3: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Genesee Counties
- YELLOW ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 3.5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- ORANGE ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 4.5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- RED ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 5.5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
TIER 4: Allegany, Orleans and Wyoming Counties
- YELLOW ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 4% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- ORANGE ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 5% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
- RED ZONE: "Geographic area has 7-day rolling average positivity above 6% for 10 days AND Geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average"
The state also breaks down each zone means:
Red Zone
- Houses of Worship: 25 percent capacity, 10 people maximum
- Mass Gatherings: Prohibited
- Businesses: Only essential businesses open
- Dining: Takeout only
- Schools: Closed, remote only; test-out option
Orange Zone
- Houses of Worship: 33 percent capacity, 25 people maximum
- Mass Gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoor and outdoor
- Businesses: Closing high-risk non-essential businesses, such as gyms and personal care
- Dining: Outdoor dining only, 4 person maximum per table
- Schools: Closed, remote only; test-out option
Yellow Zone
- Houses of Worship: 50 percent capacity
- Mass Gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor
- Businesses: Open
- Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining, 4 person maximum per table
- Schools: Open with mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings. The New York State Department of Health will establish a percentage of teachers and students/staff who need to be tested by Friday.
