COVID-19 Projections: Another Reason to Leave the Bay Area

Firehouse in Old Town reopens today

Sacramento is heading in the right direction, while the Bay Area remains locked down. [bold added]

The Greater Sacramento region’s available ICU capacity is currently under 10%, but the state’s data models project it will hit 19% in the coming weeks. Officials announced Tuesday that the region would move back into the purple reopening tier — the tightest of the four, but less restrictive than the ICU-based lockdown.

The state bases its evaluations on regions, rather than by individual county, because hospital systems rely on one another for patient transport and other support, said Dr. Nancy Williams, health officer for El Dorado County.

The area — which is part of the Greater Sacramento region along with Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties — will now be allowed to reopen outdoor dining and some small businesses and services such as hair salons, museums and movie theaters. Hotels can reopen to recreational travelers.

Firehouse filet (2016) 

We know at least a dozen Bay Area residents who have re-located to the Greater Sacramento area because of its much lower house prices, lower cost of living in non-real estate categories, and up-to-date amenities.

The region's medical facilities are excellent, and SF and Peninsula specialists are less than two hours away. Concerning the better coronavirus outlook, the reason could be lower population density. It's certainly not money, because the counties in the Central Valley are doing better than we who live in wealthier zip codes.

As noted in our visit to towns near Sacramento three years ago, they're on our short list of places to retire.