A record number of cases and 58 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Dec. 31, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.
With 4,478 COVID-19 cases reported, the total for the region is now 160,073. This is the first time that the daily total exceeds 4,000 cases in a single day and eclipses the previous record set on December 17, 2020, when 3,611 cases were reported.
In addition, an additional 58 deaths were recorded as of December 31, and the total is 1,592. This is the second highest daily total reported after 62 deaths were recorded on December 30th.
“The record number of cases and the high total deaths we’re seeing means we need to do better by following public health guidelines, especially avoiding all unnecessary contact with those who are outside our nearby homes,” Eric McDonald said. , MD, MPH, medical director of the County Office of Epidemiology and Immunization Services. “With vaccines increasingly available, we anticipate turning the corner in our fight against COVID-19 in 2021, but it looks like it will be a very difficult January.”
With the recent local detections of B.1.1.7. New strain of coronavirus first found in the UK, St Diegans should do the following now more than ever:
- Wash your hands
- Wear a mask
- Keep your distance from others and leave your home only for essential activities
- If you are sick, take the test and then stay home and isolate yourself
Order capacity and stay at the ICU:
- The current availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for the Southern California region is now 0.0% and the state will update it daily.
- The Order of Regional Stay at Home is in effect and prohibits meetings of any size with people from other households and adds restrictions for various sectors.
- The order will last until the availability of the ICU in the region meets or exceeds 15%.
Community configuration outbreaks:
- On December 31, eight new community outbreaks were confirmed: four in business settings, two in grocery stores, one in a healthcare setting, and one in a faith-based setting.
- In the last seven days (December 25-31), 53 outbreaks of the community were confirmed.
- The number of community outbreaks remains above the trigger for seven or more days.
- An outbreak of community environment is defined as three or more cases of COVID-19 in one environment and in people from different households during the last 14 days.
Tests:
- As of Dec. 31, 31,602 tests were reported in the county and the percentage of new cases confirmed by the lab was 14%.
- The average daily test for 7 days is 21,726.
- People at higher risk for COVID-19 with or without symptoms should be tested. People with any symptoms should get tested. Health care workers and essential workers should also be tested, as well as people who have had close contact with a positive case or live in communities that are being severely affected. Those who have recently returned from travel or participated in holiday meetings are also urged.
Cases:
- 5,914 or 3.7% of all cases required hospitalization.
- 1,219 or 0.8% of all cases and 20.6% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.
Deaths:
- On Dec. 31, 58 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the county. The total for the region is now 1,592.
- 37 men and 21 women died between December 14 and December 31, and their age ranged from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.
- 42 had underlying medical conditions and 16 had a pending medical history.
More information:
The most detailed data summaries found on the county’s coronavirus-sd.com website are updated around 5 p.m. daily.