Total County COVID-19 Cases Cross 18,000 As Daily Count Reaches 500 Again

Speaker 1: 00:00 The spike in COVID-19 infections continues in San Diego. Officials reported yesterday 560 people tested positive raising the county's 14 day positivity rate to 6%. There have now been more than 18,000 positive cases in San Diego with 415 deaths as County officials analyze the bad news about COVID one metric is especially important to our daily lives. That's the number of community outbreaks and increase in community outbreaks led to the closure of bars and indoor dining and San Diego, and a continued upswing may lead to more closures. I'm joined now by KPBS health reporter Tarren mento Taren. Welcome. Hey Maureen, how do health officials define a community outbreak? Speaker 2: 00:47 It's at least three cases that's tied to the same setting and it's among people who are not part of the same household. Speaker 1: 00:55 How many community outbreaks have there been in San Diego recently? Speaker 2: 00:59 So as of yesterday, there have been 15 outbreaks over the last seven days and everyday to the counties, looking back over the previous seven days to add up the community outbreaks that have been reported. So that seven day windows kind of always changing every day by a day and tracking community outbreaks is one of the county's triggers. Those metrics you mentioned, and that's, what's meant to alert us when corrective action needs to be taken. So for community outbreaks, if there are seven or more reported in that seven day window, then we are technically hitting the trigger. 15 is obviously above that level. And we've, we've been above that level for a while. Now, earlier this week, we had reached 24 outbreaks at a seven day period. Do we Speaker 1: 01:40 Ever find out exactly where these outbreaks have taken place? Speaker 2: 01:44 The County has not provided exact addresses, just descriptions like a business or grocery store or bar and restaurant. That's where we're seeing most of the outbreaks. But, um, earlier this week they reported an outbreak at a resort spa at daycare. Um, and that's the first time at least that I recall seeing those types of businesses, um, linked back to outbreaks and the County said that they've, they're keeping locations private until there's a real urgent need for the community to know, or they feel that it's so large that they couldn't track everyone down unless they were alerting the public that they may have been somewhere that has an active outbreak. It seems Speaker 1: 02:18 That these outbreaks are likely in places where, you know, people just let their guard down. Is that the idea? Speaker 2: 02:24 No, that's, that's what officials have said. They're leaking back a lot of these outbreaks to locations where alcohol is served, you know, so lots of bars slash restaurants. They, you know, they say people who drank may not follow the rules. They may get a little bit more close to someone when they're talking. They may be in a loud area. So maybe they're talking loudly and therefore, maybe they may be releasing more of these droplets that we know is how we transmit this illness. And those come out when we cough sneeze or even talk. Um, and you know, you mentioned in the introduction, you know, earlier this month, when we saw cases starting to grow the County ordered bars to be down, unless they serve food or partnered. When we, you know, with a restaurant to provide food on site and they gave restaurants a curfew of 10:00 PM and said that alcohol had to be served alongside a meal. Um, you know, and then later this month, you know, when case counts this week, actually when case counts continue to increase the state ordered restaurants to shut down indoor operations entirely. And you know, we'll be under those restrictions for at least a couple more weeks. Speaker 1: 03:23 Our community outbreaks more likely to start indoors than in an outdoor setting. Speaker 2: 03:28 So San Diego officials have said, all of the outbreaks have been tied to indoor settings. They have not tied an outbreak to an outdoor setting. And again, you can see the state's ordering indoor operations be shut down. Um, but you know, things like, uh, outdoor dining is still allowed to go on context. Speaker 1: 03:45 Tracing is especially important in community outbreaks. Has the County been successful in trying to contain these outbreaks? Speaker 2: 03:52 Well, stay wide, uh, you know, an NPR survey showed California has about half the contact tracers. It needs to contain outbreaks. We know in the County, thanks to some reporting by my KPBS colleague, Claire, sir, that our County contact tracers have connected with about 9,000 close contacts of people who have tested positive for the virus. But, you know, that was a Clare reported that earlier this week and when we had, you know, more than 17,000 cases and there's estimates that there's about 10 close context for each case. So if we've reached 9,000, we still have some work to do Speaker 1: 04:27 Outbreaks and skilled nursing facilities and senior care facilities also remain a major concern. There's an outbreak reported in the union Tribune at 100 patients at Rio Vista healthcare center in paradise Hills. Now that's reportedly the largest current outbreak in this state. How many outbreaks have we seen lately in nursing care facilities? Speaker 2: 04:48 Dr. Wilma Wooten, she's the county's public health officer reported 23 active outbreaks and nursing care facilities. They count these separately than the community outbreaks that we were talking about earlier. So they're 23 active, but overall there have been 86 outbreaks in these nursing care facilities. And an outbreak is considered inactive. When there hasn't been a case tied back to it within I believe 14 days, which is the incubation period of COVID. So again, 23 active outbreaks and nursing care facilities reported by Wilma wound earlier this week. Now what, Speaker 1: 05:20 How San Diego fans can avoid being part of the next community outbreak, Speaker 2: 05:25 Should they do it's those same measures that we've been hearing public health officials say, you know, for a while, wearing your mask, watch your wash, your hands, social distance, six feet separation. Don't gather with people who are not immediate members of your household. And they specifically say don't host any parties because that's one of the other sources that we're seeing a lot of these community outbreaks. Okay. Speaker 1: 05:45 Okay. Then I've been speaking with KPBS health reporter, Taran mento, Taran. Thank you so much. Thanks Maureen.