COVID-19 Cases Rise in San Diego – UCSD Guardian

COVID-19 circumstances are as soon as once more rising in San Diego, with the variety of new circumstances growing drastically from 409 circumstances within the week of April 26 to 1,579 new circumstances within the final week alone. As of Might 18, this brings the whole variety of confirmed COVID-19 circumstances within the county to 775,369. Correspondingly, the rolling 14-day common proportion of optimistic circumstances amongst assessments are growing as properly, leaping from 3% of assessments reported by way of April 26 to just about 6% in the newest two weeks. 

Moreover, the precise variety of optimistic circumstances is probably going greater than reported, as at-home speedy antigen assessments are extra accessible, and turning into extra widespread. 

The variety of COVID-19 hospitalizations has additionally been on the rise. As of Might 24, 180 sufferers have been hospitalized for COVID-19, growing 30.4% from 138 sufferers on Might 19. In keeping with the Patch, 21 of those hospitalized sufferers have been being handled in intensive care. The variety of accessible hospital beds has additionally decreased to 218. 

As of Might 27, San Diego County’s COVID neighborhood transmission danger class has shifted to medium-risk, which signifies that immunocompromised people ought to think about additional protecting measures, together with carrying a masks in public. Talking to NBC San Diego, Cameron Kaiser, the county deputy public well being officer, urged people to take additional precautions. 

“Unfold of the virus has elevated in current weeks and we should always step up particular person efforts to maintain our neighborhood protected,” Kaiser stated.

UC San Diego has additionally noticed a slight rise in COVID-19 circumstances. Within the week of Might 9, there have been 344 new pupil COVID-19 circumstances, together with college students residing each on and off campus.The next week of Might 16, this jumped by 35.7%, resulting in 467 new circumstances. This brings the whole variety of UCSD pupil COVID-19 circumstances to eight,980 since March 1, 2020. 

With 95% of UCSD lessons remaining in-person, UC San Diego requires masking in all indoor classroom and tutorial settings, scientific areas, and on college transportation. As well as, college students should nonetheless be masked in all areas of their residential unit, together with widespread areas, elevators, and lobbies. Whereas the visitor coverage for on-campus college students was lifted quickly, it was rapidly reinstated upon the rise in circumstances. College students don’t have to be masked of their private bedrooms or within the bathe. Masking is extremely advisable, however not mandated, in different indoor areas on campus, such because the gyms or libraries. 

In keeping with UCSD’s present Face Overlaying Coverage, acceptable face coverings embody cloth face masks of not less than two layers, surgical masks, and N95 or KN95 masks. Unacceptable face coverings embody scarves, ski masks, bandanas, balaclavas, gaiters, collars, turtlenecks, plastic face shields, or a single layer of material.

With the rising COVID-19 circumstances in San Diego, the San Diego Unified College District has introduced to folks that indoor masking could also be reinstated in some colleges, if sure COVID-19 thresholds are met. For example, indoor masking might be required if 10% or extra of the scholar inhabitants is absent every day resulting from sickness within the span of three consecutive days. 

Assistant Director of College Communications Erika Johnson wrote in an e mail to The UCSD Guardian that the college  has no plans for the time being to tighten masking rules. As a substitute, UCSD will proceed to observe the state of affairs. 

“Right now, there aren’t any plans to re-establish extra restrictive masking mandates for widespread areas on campus,” Johnson wrote. “As at all times, our medical and public well being consultants will proceed to observe campus, county and nationwide public well being developments and supply modern information and analyses, all of which helps information our decision-making. Our campus can even proceed to depend on quite a lot of instruments and mitigation methods that may assist us reply successfully and effectively to real-time situations. It’s this knowledgeable, versatile method that permits us to extra swiftly reply to public well being situations, reminiscent of calling for elevated masking and testing throughout viral surges, and has confirmed to be extraordinarily efficient all through the pandemic.”

Johnson additionally defined that the college goals to maintain college students, school and employees knowledgeable of the COVID-19 state of affairs. 

“Our objectives are to tell and educate the campus neighborhood on the present danger ranges and supply suggestions on methods to assist hold you and your family members wholesome,” Johnson stated.

For extra details about how one can keep protected through the COVID-19 pandemic, college students can go to the Return to Be taught web site to be taught extra in regards to the vaccine mandate, publicity and get in touch with tracing, and COVID-19 testing and screening. UCSD continues to supply free COVID-19 testing and vaccination and gives provides reminiscent of masks to people and departments who want them.

Paintings courtesy of Althea Tien for The UCSD Guardian.