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San Diego County Reports 310 New Cases, No New Deaths
— 4:20 p.m., Sunday, June 21, 2020
San Diego County officials reported 310 new COVID-19 cases in the county Sunday and no new deaths.
The new cases emerged from 4,413 tests taken on Saturday. Saturday’s positive test rate was 7%, which is more than double the current rolling 14-day positive test average of 2.8%..
The total number of cases in the county now stands at 10,794. Of the total cases, 1,619 (15%) have resulted in hospitalization and 449 (4.2%) have required intensive care. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 338 people in San Diego County, according to the county’s data.
No new community outbreaks were announced Sunday, but seven outbreaks remain within the seven-day community outbreak trigger metric established by the county. This means the county has reached with threshold where officials could slow, or even stop, planned reopenings.
— Laura McVicker, KPBS Social Media Strategist
San Diego County Reports 134 New Cases, 6 New Deaths
— 3:50 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
County health officials announced on Saturday an increase of 134 COVID-19 cases in the region, bringing the total to 10,484. This is from 5,594 tests reported yesterday, for a 2 percent positive rate. The 14-day rolling average is now at 2.5 percent.
Of the total cases, 1,604 (15.3 percent) have resulted in hospitalization and 443 (4.2 percent) have required intensive care.
Six new deaths have been reported, bringing the total deaths for the region to 338. Of the six, three were women and three were men, all between the ages of early 40s to late 80s. Four had underlying health conditions.
No new community outbreaks were announced Saturday, but seven outbreaks remain within the seven-day community outbreak trigger metric. Seven outbreaks is the threshold for affecting the steps the county is taking to reopen.
RELATED: County Promises Enforcement Of COVID-19 Rules, Some Restaurants Applaud Move
— Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS/Arts editor
SDSU Student Tests Positive For COVID-19
– Saturday, June 20, 1:50 p.m.
San Diego State University has announced that one of its students who lived on campus has tested positive for COVID-19. In an email to staff and students living on campus, the university said the student had not been on campus or in their residence hall for more than a week, and is recovering well at home. The student is not being identified.
In the email, SDSU Student Health Services Director Libby Skiles wrote that the university was notified of the case late Friday, and it was confirmed by county health officials on Saturday. “Based on public health guidelines, any risk to the campus community is deemed very low. This message is, however, being shared out of an abundance of caution and in alignment with SDSU’s COVID-19 Case Communications Protocol,” Skiles wrote.
There are currently 95 students living on campus. Skiles also urged the campus community to monitor their health and well-being through June 26. – Gina Diamante, KPBS News Editor
New Daily High of COVID-19 Cases Reported, Matching New High in Testing
– 5 p.m., June 19, 2020
A flurry of businesses reopened Friday throughout San Diego County as health officials reported 258 new COVID-19 cases and one death, raising the region’s totals to 10,350 cases and 332 deaths.
For the second day in a row, the new cases set a daily high, but accordingly, the number of COVID-19 tests reported Friday also reached a daily high, with 10,544 tests reported. The death was a woman in her early 80s who died on June 17 and had underlying health conditions.
The 258 cases comprised just 2% of those tests reported Friday, but community-transmitted COVID-19 outbreaks have activated one of the county’s public health triggers, placing a pause on any additional openings allowed by the state.
The businesses scheduled to open Friday, including personal care businesses like skincare and waxing salons, tattoo parlors, massage therapists and nail salons — were still allowed to open. – City News Service
County Stepping Up Enforcement After 8th Community Outbreaks In 7 Days
– 4 p.m., June 18, 2020
There were eight community outbreaks of coronavirus in San Diego within seven days, the county announced Thursday, “triggering” a set back on the county’s reopening plan.
The threshold for the trigger is seven community outbreaks in seven days. Community outbreaks are defined as three or more cases at the same location that are not linked to each other.
As a result, the county is stepping up targeted enforcement on entities that are not complying with the public health orders, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said.
“If we see individual entities that are specifically very egregiously adhering to the orders, we could step in as we did with the restaurants some number of months ago,” he said.
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El Prez, a sports bar and restaurant in Pacific Beach was ordered closed May 22, a day after reopening for violating social distancing order.
The county will also take a pause on the state’s recommendations on future reopenings “until we have greater sense of period of time and observation to understand what’s going on,” Fletcher said.
Businesses such as nail salons, skincare and waxing salons, and tattoo and massage parlors set to reopen this Friday can still reopen. — Alexander Nguyen, KPBS web producer
Newsom Orders Californians To Wear Masks In Most Settings
– 1:30 p.m., June 18, 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday ordered all residents to wear face coverings in almost all settings outside their homes to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered, putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the order. “California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.”
The statewide mandate requires residents to wear masks in “high-risk situations,” which cover virtually all scenarios outside the home. It specifically requires them:
- inside or in line to enter any indoor public space;
- while obtaining health services at locations including a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic or blood bank;
- while waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;
- in the workplace while interacting with people or in areas where food is being prepared, in common areas such as hallways and elevators and parking structures; and
- in outdoor public spaces when it is not feasible to maintain six feet of distance from people outside your own household.
The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face-covering:
- Children aged two and under;
- Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering;
- Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
- Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
- Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face-covering is necessary to perform the service;
- Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence;
- Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others;
- Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings of masks for both inmates and staff.
“Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” Newsom said. “They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.”— City News Service
Four More COVID-19 Deaths Reported In San Diego
– 3:30 p.m., June 17, 2020
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San Diego County on Wednesday reported 124 new COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths, raising the county totals to 9,854 cases and 327 deaths.
Dew Tour Skateboard Competition In SoCal Postponed Until May 2021
– 11:15 a.m., June 17, 2020
Mountain Dew and the Carlsbad-based Adventure Sports Network announced Wednesday that they have postponed their annual summer Dew Tour skateboard competition and festival in Long Beach until May 2021 due to the coronavirus.
The decision was made in light of the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. The Olympics will now be held from July 23-August 8, 2021.
The Dew Tour skateboard competition will serve as the last Olympic qualifying event in the United States before the Tokyo games. Exact event dates have not yet been determined.
In June 2019, Dew Tour served as the first global Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. for men’s and women’s skateboard street and park competitions.
“Postponing the Dew Tour Long Beach weekend until 2021 is the best decision to ensure the safety of our athletes, fans, partners, vendors and staff during these unprecedented times,” said Courtney Gresik, Dew Tour vice president and general manager. “The Dew Tour remains committed to the progression of skateboarding, furthering awareness and appreciation of the sport as we lead up to the 2021 Olympic Games.” — City News Service
San Diego County COVID-19 Cases Increase to 9,730
– 4:30 p.m., June 16, 2020
San Diego County health officials on Tuesday reported 120 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths from the illness, bring the county’s totals to 9,730 cases and 323 deaths.
The three deaths were women ranging in age from their late 60s to early 90s and all had underlying health conditions.
A total of 4,838 COVID-19 tests were reported Tuesday, with 2% testing positive. The rolling 14-day average for positive tests remains 2.9%.
Among those testing positive, a total of 1,543 cases in the county have required hospitalization and 432 had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. — City News Service
Schools Throughout San Diego County Allowed To Hold In-Person Classes
6:55 a.m., June 16, 2020
Public, charter and private schools in San Diego County may hold in-person classes starting Tuesday, as reopenings continue throughout the region.
Updated county health orders took effect today, allowing all schools — with the exception of colleges and universities — to hold on-campus classes as long as the schools comply with measures outlined by the California Department of Public Health. Those measures include face coverings required at all times, daily temperature checks recommended, increased emphasis on hand washing and sanitizing, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting in the classrooms and setting classrooms up to allow for increased physical distance between students.
Each school must complete and post a document detailing the actions the school is taking to comply with the industry guidance issued by the state. — City News Service
170 New COVID-19 Cases, 1 New Deaths Reported In San Diego
– 3:30 p.m., Monday, June 15, 2020
Some restrictions on outdoor religious services were lifted Monday by San Diego County officials, who simultaneously reported 170 new COVID-19 cases and a related death.
The new data raises the county total to 9,610 confirmed coronavirus cases and 320 deaths, including Monday’s addition to that count: a man in his late 70s who died June 7.
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Despite the new cases, outdoor religious services will be allowed without restrictions on the number of worshippers so long as social distancing is maintained.
This followed a wild weekend in which bars reopened and hundreds of people — many not wearing facial coverings — were captured on social media, seen milling around outside bars in the Gaslamp District.
California Well Prepared for Future COVID-19 Spike, Says Newsom
– 3 p.m., Monday, June 15, 202
California has flattened the curve of COVID-19 hospitalizations, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday, as he emphasized that the state is prepared to handle future spikes in coronavirus cases.
Newsom’s assurances came as the number of new coronavirus cases in the state continue to increase — with thousands of new positive tests every day over the last month — raising alarm among some public health officials and epidemiologists.
“As we mix, as we reopen, inevitably we’re going to see an increase in the total number of cases,” Newsom said. “It is our capacity to address that that is so foundational.”
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During the nearly two months that residents spent sheltering in place, California hospitals built up a supply of protective gear and nearly 11,000 ventilators in the case of a spike in hospitalizations.
As Newsom touted the state’s ability to respond to an uptick in cases, he acknowledged the ongoing difficulty in containing the virus in nursing homes. More than half of the coronavirus deaths in California occurred in skilled nursing facilities. The state has required (but not provided) tests for all residents and nursing home workers.
“That is an area of deep focus and ongoing concern,” Newsom added. “This remains our top priority.” — Guy Marzorati / KQED
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