SAN DIEGO — San Diego County reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases from Friday to Sunday, including 745 yesterday. Those numbers were released just hours after the San Diego City Council’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Committee received an update on vaccination levels, school preparedness, and other issues related to the pandemic.
The main message: The Delta variant combined with unvaccinated residents has local leaders concerned that we’re heading in the wrong direction. “In the United States, more than 97% of people getting hospitalized are people who are unvaccinated and more than 99% of the deaths are in people who are unvaccinated,” Dr. Jennifer Tuteur told the committee. Dr. Tuteur is the County’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
She added that less than 45% of children ages 12-17 in our country are fully vaccinated. That said, San Diego Unified confirmed Monday that the district is still planning to offer full day, in-person instruction when students go back next month.
“Universal masking is required for all students and staff when we come back in the fall,” said SDUSD Board President Richard Barrera.
He added that students who refuse to wear a mask, or don't feel comfortable being in a classroom, will be enrolled in the district's virtual academy.
Also on the agenda today, an update on the future of outdoor dining. The city is looking at ways to make some aspects of this permanent while juggling safety and the need for parking.
“This was a silver lining in this cloud,” said Council President Dr. Jennifer Campbell. “A city like San Diego with great weather all year round for the most part needs to have the availability of outside dining.”
But, without question, the big message Monday was that more county residents need to get vaccinated.
“People, get the vaccine,” implored Dr. Campbell. “If we have more surge from these variants, we may have to close down the economy again. It could be a disaster as it was.”
Doctors say not getting the vaccine doesn't just put you at risk, but others as well because as more unvaccinated people get sick the virus has the opportunity to further mutate. If that happens, it could become a variant immune to the current vaccines putting all of us back to square one.
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