SD County reports 358 new COVID-19 cases

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County health officials reported 348 new COVID-19 cases and 10 additional deaths today, raising the county's totals to 30,864 cases and 578 deaths.

Locally, Bonsall has recorded 36 cases and Pala 51, both towns showed no increase overnight. Fallbrook added three new cases since Tuesday with 313 confirmed cases overall.

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said Wednesday that California had reported issues with private labs and reporting, meaning some additional cases might be retroactively added to both local and statewide case totals in coming weeks.

Of the total positive cases, 2,655 -- or 8.6% -- required hospitalization and 666 -- or 2.2% -- were admitted to an intensive care unit. Officials estimate more than 24,000 people have recovered from the virus.

The rate of the population testing positive has dropped to 105.7 per 100,000 people. The state's goal is to be below 100 per 100,000. One week ago the rate was 134.4 per 100,000 -- a trend which could potentially get San Diego County off the state's watch list.

The county reported 6,981 tests Wednesday, 5% of which returned positive. The 14-day running average is 5.3% and the county has recorded 631,968 total tests since March.

Additionally, the number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 continues to trend downward, with 392 in regional hospitals including 125 in intensive care units.

The percentage of people testing positive for the illness who have been contacted by a county contact tracer in the first 48 hours has increased from a dismal 7% on July 18 to 73%. The county's target for this metric is more than 90%, but 70% is good enough to get it out of the ``failed'' trigger category.

Five additional community outbreaks were reported Wednesday, bringing the number of community outbreaks in the county in the past week to 30. The

outbreaks were reported in a preschool, a restaurant/bar setting, a faith-based organization and two in businesses.

There have been 164 community outbreaks reported since stay-at-home orders in March, with 1,220 cases and 11 deaths linked. In skilled nursing facilities, 145 deaths have been linked to 59 outbreaks.

An outbreak is considered to have occurred if three or more people from different households contract COVID-19 from one location.

Officials say declining case numbers and other important metrics show positive trends, leading some lawmakers to begin looking at ways to move forward with further reopening of the economy.

The County Board of Supervisors over the past two days opened county-owned parks for worship and fitness activities, approved spending $48 million in federal pandemic-related funding to help child care providers, testing in schools and meals for senior citizens, added a pilot walk-up testing program at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for essential workers and U.S. citizens, and approved a plan that adds 22 members to a ``safe reopening compliance team'' to crack down on businesses refusing to follow public health orders.

The compliance team will focus on three types of violators, starting with the most blatant cases first -- such as those who fail to avoid mass gatherings. The next level of enforcement would focus on businesses or groups that have experienced community outbreaks, in which three or more people from different households contract COVID-19 from one location.

Lastly, the team will check on less serious violations reported to them by concerned individuals, including businesses that are reportedly operating without social distancing protocols or mask wearing.

A compliance call center has been established so county residents can submit complaints of violations. It can be reached at 858-694-2900.

The San Diego City Council approved two measures to help businesses -- one that allocates $700,000 to businesses in historically underserved communities and the other that allows gyms, personal care businesses and houses of worship operate outside on sidewalks and private parking lots.

Of the total hospitalized during the pandemic due to the illness, 71% have been 50 or older. The highest age group testing positive for the illness

are those 20-29, and that group is also least likely to take precautionary measures to avoid spreading the illness, a county statement said.

``Some San Diegans think they're not going to get sick and therefore are not following the public health guidance,'' said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer. ``What they don't realize is that they could get infected and pass the virus to others who are vulnerable.''

County residents ages 20-29 have accounted for 25.5% percent of COVID-19 cases, the highest of any age group, according to county data. The age

group with the second highest number of infections -- residents ages 30-39 -- represent 18.9% of the county's COVID-19 cases.