While the local, COVID-19 adjusted case rate rose yesterday from 6.8 to 7.0 per every 100,000, increased testing in the region once again helped to keep this metric in the Red Tier and the County from moving into the most restrictive Purple Tier.
The positive adjustment is given by the State of California to counties that are testing at higher levels than the state’s median. That adjustment prevented the County from landing in the Purple Tier, which would have placed indoor activities at restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and a number of other locations in jeopardy.
“Remaining in the Red Tier is good news, but the new adjusted rate is not. The new figure clearly shows the region is not moving the right direction,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “It is extremely important San Diegans follow the local health guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep the region from falling into the Purple Tier.”
The County’s COVID-19 unadjusted case rate for the week of Oct. 4 through Oct. 10, increased from 7.2 to 7.8 per every 100,000 residents.
County health officials continue to encourage San Diegans to be vigilant and to take all the recommended actions to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Using a face covering, maintaining your distance, washing your hands and avoiding crowded places all help to prevent the spread of the virus,” Wooten said. “At the moment, these actions are the best tool we have to bring our numbers down and keep the region from having to follow more restrictive guidance.”
State Monitoring Metrics:
While the testing positivity percentage for the region also increased from 3.0 percent to 3.3 percent, it remains low enough for this metric to remain in the Orange Tier.
The state’s health equity metric, which looks at the testing positivity for areas with the lowest healthy conditions, dropped from 5.7 to 5.5 percent and remained in the Red Tier. This metric does not move counties backward to more restrictive tiers, but is required to advance.
