San Mateo County continues with an improvement in COVID-19 numbers, as the case rate and positive test rate decreased in the week of September 26.
The case rate dropped from 6 to 4.3 per 100,000, while the positive rate decreased from 3.7 percent to 2.6 percent. The county, however, remains at a "high risk" red light in accordance with the state's Safer Economy Plan.
"The use of face masks, healthy distance and resumption of outdoor activities have been positive factors," said County Manager Mike Callagy during a press conference on COVID-19 with media on Wednesday.
Callagy said the county is close to moving to the less restrictive "moderate risk" orange light, but that it is not yet time to make the transition. Recall that the county moved to a red light on Sept. 22 and will remain red for at least three more weeks to meet the criteria required to move to an orange light.
With a low 2.6 percent test positivity rate, the county already meets the Orange Traffic Light's required range for test results; however, the county has not yet met the Orange Traffic Light compliance quota for incidence of cases.
To reach the orange light, a case rate of less than 4 per 100,000 is required. The county must also remain census-compliant in the lowest quartile of the state's Healthy Places Index (HPI).
The goal of this new measurement is to encourage counties to decrease COVID-19 transmission rates in high-risk communities that are being affected by the virus.
Currently, San Mateo County's HPI positivity rate is 5.3 percent; 5.2 percent is required to advance to the orange traffic light.
Callagy also said the state is working with counties to improve data by race and ethnicitya, for which data is unknown in one-third of state data and 21 percent of county cases.
In San Mateo County, COVID-19 cases continue to be concentrated in the Latino community, with 51 percent of the cases, although it only constitutes 24 percent of the county's total population.
"We are working with local organizations to amplify the message of wearing masks, keeping a safe distance, hand washing and testing, especially for essential activity workers," Callagy said.
Thus, San Mateo County has expanded the population's options for accessing COVID-19 testing: at the San Mateo County Event Center, mobile testing sites, and targeted neighborhood testing.
People can visit the county website www.smcgov.org/testing for the full testing schedule. The county increased its testing by 8 percent last week, with about 281 tests per 100,000, compared to 260 the previous week.
Callagy said the county completed a daily average of 481 tests at the event center and 311 tests at the mobile sites during the past week. The county will continue to increase the number of tests, as the event center has a testing capacity limit of up to 1,000 per day.
Finally, Callagy and San Mateo County Deputy Chief Health Officer Srija Srinivasan encouraged everyone to get vaccinated against influenza as the virus season is upon us.
"The symptoms of influenza and COVID-19 share similarities," Srinivasan said. "The more we can protect ourselves from the flu, the more we can protect others."
Although the CDC reported that flu cases may decrease due to the health measures that have been taken against COVID-19, Srinivasan said everyone should "stay on top of it" and continue the basic behaviors of frequent hand washing, healthy distance and wearing a mask.
[With information from BCN]
