The surge in COVID-19 cases in San Diego County was continuing, according to data reported by the county Friday, particularly among the unvaccinated.
Robert Smith, director and CEO of the Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System, said the climbing rate of infections was taking a toll on veterans.
"Rates have gone up fivefold in the last six weeks in San Diego and we're seeing the same kind of an increase amongst the veterans that we serve, and those increases are being seen in those that are unvaccinated," said Robert Smith, director and CEO of the VA San Diego Healthcare System. "We are not seeing hospitalizations amongst those that have received the vaccine, and it just points out both the safety of the vaccine that's available, but also the effectiveness of that vaccine."
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Friday's data included another 1,480 cases and four additional deaths, increasing the county's cumulative tallies to 303,691 cases and 3,810 deaths.
Additionally, another 50 people were hospitalized and three put into intensive care units.
A total of 17,745 tests were recorded in Friday's data, and the percentage of new positive cases over the past week was 8.9%.
While San Diego County continues to see rising COVID-19 cases, more than 2 million residents are fully vaccinated — bringing the region closer to its vaccination goal of vaccinating 75% of the 2.8 million residents eligible to get the vaccine, health officials announced.
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In the weekly data updated Wednesdays, a total of 2,015,700, or 71.9%, of residents 12 and older, had received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
The county's goal of vaccinating 75% of the 2.8 million eligible residents equates to 2,101,936 people. Around 86,000 more San Diegans are needed to reach that 75% target, which is 5% higher than the state and national goal.
