The pandemic has seen a drop-off of 25 percent to 38 percent of sexually transmitted diseases in San Joaquin County.

Many other diseases that require reporting such as whooping cough and tuberculosis saw drops in 2020 compared to 2019 levels.

None, however, were as stark as the decline in reported STD cases.

The San Joaquin Public Health Services reported cases of chlamydia dropping from 4,803 in 2019 to 3,828 during 2020, gonorrhea cases falling 1,708 to 1,055, hepatitis C chronic cases going from 1,269 to 970, and syphilis dropping from 225 to 166.

County health officials indicate that may represent an actual decrease in case numbers due to people staying home and being careful during the pandemic or it could reflect a decrease in people seeking medical care during the pandemic.

At any rate, outside of COVID-19 reports, STDs accounted for over 85 percent of all reported diseases in 2020.

Overall there was almost a 500 percent increase (11,824 more reports) in 2020 of diseases from 2010 levels that by law must be reported once a medical professional detects them in patients. The majority of the 58,347 reports were COVID-19 cases that numbered 49,180.

Surge in COVID cases

trigger bank closures

A surge in COVID-19 cases has forced the temporary closure of some business including banks and has forced some concerns such as restaurants to operate with shorter hours.

Branches of the Bank of the West were temporarily closed Friday in Manteca, Tracy, Stockton and other locations throughout the region after employees testing positive for COVID-19 created staffing shortage. A number of smaller businesses are in the same position. That is especially true of independent restaurants.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com