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Escondido’s Mission Middle School Closes For 2 Weeks After 3 Cases Of COVID-19
– 6:45 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, 2020
After three positive COVID-19 cases at Mission Middle School in Escondido, the district will suspend in-person learning for the next two weeks.
Escondido Unified made the announcement Monday. This follows Vista Unified’s decision to pivot three more schools to online learning after a coronavirus outbreak there.
In a statement posted to its website, Escondido Unified said county public health officials were aware of the positive cases but the county did not direct the district to close the school.
“This decision was made to ensure the stability of the educational program offered to our students, as well as to continue our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our students and employees,” the district said in the statement.
On-campus instruction will resume Nov. 17, the district said. — Alexander Nguyen, KPBS News
San Diego County Reports 307 New COVID-19 Cases
– 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, 2020
San Diego County public health officials Monday reported 307 new COVID-19 cases, raising the region’s case total to 57,409, while the death toll was unchanged at 891.
Of the 10,248 tests reported Monday, 3% returned positive, bringing the 14-day rolling average of positive tests to 2.9%.
Of the total number of cases in the county, 3,944 — or 6.9% — have required hospitalization and 914 patients — or 1.6% of all cases — had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.
No new community outbreaks were reported Monday; in the previous seven days, 28 community outbreaks were confirmed. A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
The county last week avoided returning to the state’s purple tier, the most restrictive, remaining in the less restrictive red tier of the state’s four-tiered coronavirus monitoring system. The usual Tuesday update on the state’s four-tier reopening plan has been rescheduled to Wednesday due to the election, according to county officials.
The county’s adjusted case rate dropped to 6.5 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population. — City News Service
Three More Vista Schools Pivot To Virtual Learning Due To COVID-19
– 3:30 p.m., Nov. 2, 2020
The Vista Unified School District has shifted three more schools to online learning, after more COVID-19 cases were reported among students and staff. The change affects Vista High School, Madison Middle School and Roosevelt Middle School.
In an online update posted Friday, the district said 13 students and one staff member have tested positive for COVID-19 since in-person learning resumed on October 20. The district said all cases were contracted outside of the school environment.
In-person classes at these schools are expected to resume at Vista, Madison and Roosevelt schools on November 12. Another school, Mission Vista High School, was shifted to online learning on October 29 and is expected to return to online learning on Nov. 9. — KPBS Staff
SD County Reports 352 New COVID-19 Cases
– 4:52 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020
San Diego County public health officials have reported 352 new COVID-19 cases and no new fatalities, raising the region’s total to 57,102 cases with deaths remaining at 891.
Of the 12,879 tests reported Saturday, 3% returned positive with 239 people hospitalized.
The county avoided the state’s purple tier, the most restrictive, for yet another week on Tuesday, remaining in the less restrictive red tier of the state’s four-tiered coronavirus monitoring system.
The county’s adjusted case rate dropped to 6.5 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population. – City News Service
SD County Reports 381 New COVID-19 Cases And Three New Deaths
– 10:25 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020
San Diego County public health officials have reported 381 new COVID-19 cases and three new fatalities, raising the region’s total to 56,750 cases and 891 deaths.
Of the 12,879 tests reported Saturday, 3% returned positive with 239 people hospitalized. No new community outbreaks were reported.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
The county avoided the state’s purple tier, the most restrictive, for yet another week on Tuesday, remaining in the less restrictive “red” tier of the state’s four- tiered coronavirus monitoring system.
The county’s adjusted case rate dropped to 6.5 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population. – City News Service
County Serves Cease-And-Desist Orders To Homes Near SDSU Planning Halloween Parties
– 4:50 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
San Diego County officials are getting serious about parties at San Diego State University. Friday afternoon they sent cease-and-desist orders to eight College Area residences, including some fraternities and sororities.
County public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said this action was necessary because the region’s livelihood hangs in the balance, as we are on the brink of moving to a more restrictive tier.
“Know that our place on one tier or another is not based on the state’s assessment, it is intrinsically tied to our personal and common efforts,” she said. “The risk of contracting COVID-19 is increased when we come in contact with individuals outside our households. Every decision each of us makes should be guided by that knowledge.”
SDSU students are still under a stay-at-home advisory for the Halloween weekend.
It started last Friday night and lasts through Monday morning. They are told to only go out for essential needs, like grocery shopping or voting.
More than 1,200 COVID-19 cases have been reported among SDSU students and staff. — Kim Swain, KPBS News
SD County Reports 471 New COVID-19 Cases As Officials Warn To Avoid Crowds
– 4:26 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
San Diego County public health officials reported 471 new COVID-19 cases and three additional coronavirus fatalities Friday, raising the region’s total to 56,369 cases and 888 deaths.
One woman and two men died between Oct. 25 and Oct. 28. Their ages ranged from mid-30s to mid-80s. All had underlying medical conditions.
Of the 15,013 tests reported Friday, 3% returned positive, bringing the 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases to 2.7%. The 7-day daily average of tests is 11,336.
One new community outbreak was confirmed Friday in a restaurant. It brings the total in the past week to 33, above the trigger of seven or more in seven days.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
Of all cases, 3,911 — or 6.9% — have required hospitalization. And 905 — or 1.6% — of all cases and 23.1% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. – City News Service
San Diego County Reports 358 New COVID-19 Cases As Halloween Weekend Approaches
– 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020
San Diego County public health officials reported 358 new COVID-19 cases and four additional coronavirus fatalities Thursday, raising the region’s total to 55,898 cases and 885 deaths.
Three men and one woman died between Oct. 26 and Oct. 27. Their ages ranged from mid-30s to early 80s. All had underlying medical conditions.
Of the 13,338 tests reported Thursday, 3% returned positive, bringing the 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases to 2.8%. The seven-day daily average of tests is 11,110.
A total of eight new community outbreaks were confirmed Thursday, four in businesses, two in grocery settings, one in a preschool and one in a restaurant. These bring the total in the past week to 37. — City News Service
County Announces Internet Funding For 19 School Districts, Charter Schools
– 4:23 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020
San Diego County officials Thursday announced 19 school districts and charter schools will see improved access to the internet thanks to $2 million in county funds intended to bridge a digital divide between students during distance-learning.
According to County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, 4,303 students stand to benefit from the funding and stronger connection to the Internet. The funds will go toward satellite and cable Internet, as well as wireless hotspots.
“We talk about our teens as digital natives, but that does not always extend to the tools necessary to be successful in an academic environment. One of the struggles spotlighted during COVID-19 has been student access to reliable Internet connectivity for distance learning,” Fletcher said. “That is the reason I fought so hard during the county’s budget deliberations to secure this money. Educating our youth is essential, even more so during a pandemic and I didn’t want that to get lost.” — City News Service
SD County Reports 330 New COVID-19 Cases, 4 Deaths As Numbers ‘Hold Steady’
– 5:17 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020
San Diego County public health officials reported 330 new COVID-19 cases and four additional coronavirus fatalities Wednesday, raising the region’s total to 55,540 cases and 881 deaths.
These statistics come a day after the county avoided the state’s “purple” tier for yet another week, remaining in the less restrictive “red” tier of the state’s four-tiered coronavirus monitoring system.
The county’s adjusted case rate dropped to 6.5 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, which is far from ideal, but allows the county to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
“We’re holding steady in San Diego County,” said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher at a weekly meeting of county officials Wednesday.
He pointed to examples of places not holding steady throughout the country and globe, with exponential growth in case numbers causing significant backsliding and heavily taxing local health infrastructure. – City News Service
“We have to redouble our efforts,” he said, referring to the approaching winter and flu season. “This has the potential to take off.” – City News Service
La Mesa Police To Resume Parking Regulation Enforcement
– 1:38 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020
The La Mesa Police Department will resume parking regulation enforcement citywide starting the second week of November, officials announced Wednesday.
La Mesa suspended the issuing of parking tickets on March 17 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Starting Monday, Nov. 9, La Mesa police will issue written citations for vehicles parked in violation of posted street sweeping routes, metered parking restrictions, curb time limits, commercial zones and 72-hour parking limits.
The city of San Diego temporarily suspended parking enforcement on March 16, limiting enforcement to holiday or Sunday regulations only. San Diego resumed parking regulation enforcement citywide on Oct. 15. – City News Service
San Diego Avoids Purple Tier Again As Coronavirus Numbers Improve Slightly
– 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020
For yet another week, San Diego County avoided the fate of dropping into the dreaded purple tier of California’s coronavirus monitoring system Tuesday, with an adjusted case rate of 6.5 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population.
While the county’s unadjusted case rate is 7.4 per 100,000 — enough to be in the most restrictive purple tier, which has a floor of 7 per 100,000 — the high volume of tests the county is able to perform daily allows for an adjustment from the state. This adjustment has saved the county from shutting down nearly all non-essential indoor businesses for several weeks in a row.
The state data, which is updated every Tuesday, reflect the previous week’s cases to determine the fate of counties in the state’s four-tiered reopening system
San Diego County did show modest improvement, dropping .4 from last week’s unadjusted case rate of 7.8. The testing positivity rate continued an upward trend, rising .2% from last week to reach 3.5%, but remains low enough for this metric to remain in the orange tier. If a county reports statistics meeting metrics in a higher tier for two consecutive weeks, it will move into that more restrictive tier for a minimum of three weeks.
The state’s health equity metric, which looks at the testing positivity for areas with the lowest healthy conditions, dropped from 5.5% to 5.1% and entered the orange tier. This metric does not move counties backward to more restrictive tiers but is required to advance.
County health officials reported 269 new COVID-19 infections and seven deaths Tuesday, bringing the case total to 55,210 and the death toll to 877.
Five men and two women died between Oct. 22 and Oct. 25, with one death occurring July 19. Their ages ranged from early 60s to mid-80s. All had underlying medical conditions.
Of the 10,456 tests reported Tuesday, 3% returned positive, bringing the 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases to 2.7%. The 7-day daily average of tests is 11,173.
Two new community outbreaks were confirmed Tuesday, one in a day care and one in a business. In the past seven days, 24 community outbreaks were confirmed. A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
Of all cases, 3,875 — or 7% — have required hospitalization. And 898 — or 1.6% — of all cases and 23.2% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. —City News Service
Supervisors Call For More Local Control On COVID-19 Restrictions
– 1:50 p.m., Oct. 27, 2020
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution asking the state governor’s office for more local control when it comes to further restrictions in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proposed by Supervisors Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar, the resolution was approved after board members received an update on the county’s efforts on combating the virus.
According to the resolution, the county is requesting that “the state continues to regularly consult and incorporate the expertise and judgment of local health officers in the determinations for the most effective non- pharmaceutical interventions in local jurisdictions.”
Further, “the state’s reopening blueprint must account for hospital and medical system capacity and readiness to provide medical treatment by incorporating data into the analysis in some manner, such as case rate readjustment factor,” the resolution states.
— City News Service
San Diego Unified Cautiously Looks To January For Expanding In-Person Learning
– 1:50 p.m., Oct. 27, 2020
Citing ballooning COVID-19 rates and multiple cases of the illness among students in other school districts, leaders of the San Diego Unified School District announced Tuesday they are cautiously looking to Jan. 4 for a major expansion of in-person learning — depending on the course of the pandemic.
Speaking Tuesday at Gage Elementary School, the SDUSD officials said safety measures put in place over the summer have so far prevented any documented cases of COVID-19 transmission on the campuses that have reopened on a limited basis.
“Safety has been our strategy from the start,” said SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten. “The safety precautions put in place at schools like Gage and elsewhere appear to be working. So far, we have had zero documented outbreaks of COVID-19 and zero documented cases of transmission on campus, as determined by the County Office of Public Health. Exactly two weeks into Phase 1, we are encouraged.”
— City News Service
San Diego County Reports 358 New COVID-19 Cases As It Awaits State Data
– 4:50 p.m., Oct. 26, 2020
San Diego County health officials reported 358 new COVID-19 infections Monday, bringing the case total to 54,941, including a new case in the Vista Unified School District.
The county didn’t record any deaths related to COVID-19 on Monday, and the death toll remains at 870. It will receive an update from the state Tuesday as to the county’s reopening status.
Of the 7,827 tests reported Monday, 5% returned positive, raising the 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases to 2.8%. The 7-day daily average of tests is 10,981.
One new community outbreak was confirmed Monday in a youth sports setting. In the past seven days, 27 community outbreaks were confirmed. A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
Of all cases, 3,859 — or 7% — have required hospitalization. And 892 — or 1.6% — of all cases and 23.1% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. — City News Service
Second Mission Vista High School COVID-19 Case Leads To 150 In Quarantine
– 2:00 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26, 2020
Less than a week after fully reopening its schools, the Vista Unified School District reported a second COVID-19 case involving a Mission Vista High School student, leading to the quarantine of about 150 students and four teachers.
According to the district, the second student tested positive for the illness on Sunday. That student attended school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week and is not connected to the other case in a student confirmed last week, the district said.
“The parents notified us that the student likely contracted the virus while traveling on a club athletic team not affiliated with school,” a district statement reads. “We immediately notified all parents, students and staff who may have come into contact with the student.”
While it is unlikely the student came into close contact with all 150 students and four teachers, the district said it was “proceeding with an abundance of caution” and placing all of them on a 14-day quarantine and pivot to Zoom and Canvas distance-learning classes.
According to the district’s COVID-19 safety dashboard, it has recorded five cases since Sept. 8, and just one since Oct. 20.
– City News Service
San Diego County Reports 269 New COVID-19 Cases, Two Additional Deaths
– 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
Health officials in San Diego County reported 269 new COVID-19 infections Sunday, bringing the total to 54,583 since mid-February, and two new deaths, bringing the overall fatality total to 870.
The two deaths were men reported to have died earlier this month. They ranged in age from late 60s to early 70s, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
Of the 10,819 new tests reported, 2% returned positive. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 2.7%. The 7-day daily average of tests is 11,127.
Two new community outbreaks were confirmed, one in a health-care setting and the other in a restaurant. In the past seven days — Oct. 18 through Oct. 24 — 26 community outbreaks were confirmed.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
Of all cases, 3,850 — or 7.1% — have required hospitalization. And 889 — or 1.6% — of all cases and 23.1% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. – City News Service
San Diego County Reports 386 New COVID-19 Cases; No Additional Deaths
– 9:40 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
Health officials in San Diego County have reported 386 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total to 54,314 since mid-February, but no new deaths, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
The last new death was reported Thursday, which pushed the overall total to 868.
Of the 10,784 tests reported Saturday, 4% returned positive.
Five new community outbreaks were reported Friday. Twenty-five community outbreaks were reported between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
San Diego State University announced Thursday that it had issued a stay-at-home advisory for all students. The advisory is set to begin at 6 p.m. and run through Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 a.m. – City News Service
San Diego County Reports 430 COVID-19 Cases, One Death Friday
– 5:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, 2020
Public health officials in San Diego County reported 430 new COVID-19 infections and one more death Friday, raising the region’s cumulative totals to 53,928 cases and 867 fatalities.
Of the 13,360 tests reported Friday, 3% returned positive, bringing the 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases to 2.7%, far below the state-set target of less than 8%.
Of the total COVID-19 cases in the county, 3,827 or 7.1% have been hospitalized, with 884 — or 1.6% — spending at least some time in an intensive care unit. The number of current COVID-19 hospital patients in the region is 236, with 73 of those in the ICU.
Five new community outbreaks were reported Friday. In the past seven days, 21 community outbreaks were confirmed, well above the trigger of seven or more in a week’s time.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
San Diego State University announced Thursday that it had issued a stay-at-home advisory for all students. The advisory is set to begin at 6 p.m. and run through Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 a.m.
University officials said the move was made to discourage students from participating in Halloween events where physical distancing cannot be done. Students are advised to stay home unless they had an essential need. — City News Service
San Diego County Reports 235 COVID-19 Cases, Three More Deaths
– 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020
Public health officials in San Diego County reported 235 new COVID-19 infections and three more deaths Thursday, raising the region’s cumulative totals to 53,498 cases and 866 fatalities.
Two new community outbreaks were reported Thursday, one in a business setting and the other at a health care setting. In the past seven days, 17 community outbreaks were confirmed, well above the trigger of seven or more in a week’s time.
A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households over the past 14 days.
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla announced Thursday all employees able to effectively work remotely will continue to do so through March 12, the end of its winter quarter.
“Empowering employees to continue to work from home whenever possible greatly reduces the population density on campus, which helps protect our students, student-facing employees and other essential staff working on site,” said Nancy Resnick, UCSD’s chief human resources officer. — City News Service
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