Thursday, March 28, 2024

San Diego COVID-19 Cases Rising, Will Continue to Follow State Mask Guidance

Data Source: County of San Diego

According to the County of San Diego, the number of local COVID-19 cases has been rising the past few weeks, increasing the case rate from 1.9 cases per 100,000 residents on June 15 to 3.7 cases per 100,000 residents now. The daily case count increased to 355 on July 12 and has been at or above 200 for the last seven days.

“We are now seeing about double the number of cases that were being reported a month ago,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “This has led to a 46% increase in hospitalizations and 10% uptake in intensive care unit admissions in the past few weeks. We expect further increases in ICU admissions since they lag behind the trend in cases and hospitalizations.”

COVID-19 variant cases also are increasing. Ten variants have been identified in the region, four of them having been designated as variants of concern, including the Delta variant. To date, 107 cases of the Delta variant have been reported in the region.

For a brief period when the numbers were low the county transitioned to report numbers just once a week (they are now reporting Monday through Friday). In the week of data ending on July 6 there were 794 new cases in the county; and the following week, ending July 13, there were 1892 new cases. The Delta variant cases went from 25 on June 29 to 54 on July 6 and 108 on July 13.

Coronado data as of July 13 can be seen in the chart below (the county does not break down city cases by variants):

Due to increased COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, today LA County announced that wearing masks indoors will be required beginning Sunday, July 18, regardless of vaccination status.

In response to the LA County announcement, San Diego County put out its own statement that it will continue to follow the state guidance on masking.

The California Department of Health mask guidance says:

  • Unvaccinated people are required to wear masks in indoor public settings
  • Vaccinated people do not need to wear masks, except in certain settings where masks are required for everyone. Those settings include public transit, healthcare, K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters.
Full state mask guidance can be found on the covid19.ca.gov website.

San Diego County continues to urge residents to get vaccinated. Information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine can be found at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

COVID-19 Cases Among San Diego County Residents by Vaccination Status Since January 1, 2021:
*Cases who first tested positive (based on specimen collection date) greater than or equal to 14 days after receiving the final dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Percentages are among total cases, hospitalizations, and deaths for the time period.

 

 



Managing Editor
Managing Editor
Originally from upstate New York, Dani Schwartz has lived in Coronado since 1996. She is happy to call Coronado home and to have raised her children here. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercising, trying new restaurants, and just walking her dog around the "island." Have news to share? Send tips or story ideas to: [email protected]

More Local News