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SJ County COVID case rates decline, 54% vaccinated
EMC COVID patient
Garcia Garnica, 50, of Turlock, is finally able to shake hands with surgeon Dr. Zhong Wang after spending 78 days in the hospital battling COVID-19. Garnica joins the 15,430 Stanislaus County residents who are presumed to have recovered from COVID-19 (Photo courtesy of EMC).

STOCKTON – COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations are beginning to decline throughout  San Joaquin County.

Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that trend could point to a plateau in the virus.

 San Joaquin County COVID-19 statistics as of Sept. 13 are as follows: 

*Since mid-March 2020 there have been 95,258 total COVID-19 cases and 1,610 deaths.

*Currently ; 231 people hospitalized; 77 people in ICU; 65 people on ventilators

*12,730 total COVID-19 cases occurred in ages 0-17 (nearly 13% of total cases)

*425,306 total residents have been fully or partially vaccinated through the County, as well as other multi-county entities, hospital systems, and pharmacies comprising 65.4% of San Joaquin County’s total population

*54% of residents aged 12 or over are fully vaccinated and 9% are partially vaccinated

*29.5 daily new cases (per 100k)

*6.6% positive tests for the entire county

*10.6% positive tests for the Healthy Places Index (HPI) quartile

 “It appears we are emerging from the Delta variant surge, but we are keeping a close watch because of Labor Day gatherings as well as people ordering rapid tests from private companies and not necessarily reporting a positive test,: Park said. “However, it appears we are at a plateau, which is great news. Hopefully, this decline is real and can be sustained especially with new variants being identified and as we enter cold and flu season.”

 Park also shared with the Board some requests for support that Public Health Services is asking from the State Department of Public Health, which include:

*Assistance from the State and Federal government for 3rd dose booster shots for skilled nursing facility residents

*Continued State support with an Outbreak Response Team van which is dispersed to schools, skilled nursing facilities, and homeless shelters throughout the County to respond to outbreaks by providing testing

*Additional contact tracers who can help inform people that they may have been exposed to COVID-19

*State contracted/facilitated vaccinating and testing resources. The State has provided 30 State contracted nurses to serve in ICU’s and emergency departments

*Additional support for SNAPNurse mobile vaccine events that will soon provide testing as well

*Expanding COVID-19 testing sites and hours through OptumServe, a State contracted company

 Park told the Board that the California Department of Public Health recently updated their guidance on youth activities, which requires youth to wear masks while participating in all indoor school activities such as sports, band, or choir. If those activities cannot be performed indoors, the activity would be moved outdoors or that weekly PCR testing would be performed, even among youth that have already been vaccinated.

  “It is clear we need to continue encouraging testing and vaccinations in order to increase the momentum in beating the virus,” Board Chair Tom Patti. “We are continuing to get tests and vaccinations dispersed throughout the community, we are doing everything possible to prevent and respond to outbreaks and we are addressing the increased demand to provide rapid testing to residents throughout the County.”