SAN DIEGO — San Diego County public health officials Monday logged 1,082 COVID-19 infections -- the fewest new cases in more than a month -- and no additional fatalities. The county's cumulative COVID-19 case total is now 239,124, and the death toll remains at 2,619.
Of the 11,027 tests reported, 10% were positive for COVID-19, bringing the 14-day rolling average to 8.5%. As recently as Jan. 13, that average was north of 13%. Although the county reported 342 new hospital admissions on Monday, hospitalizations overall continue to decline.
County health officials said 1,303 people in area hospitals were being treated for the virus as of Monday-- with 392 of those in intensive care units, up 12 from Sunday.
A record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations -- 1,804 -- was set Jan. 12 and has declined since. In the past two weeks, the number of hospitalizations has decreased 23%.
A record for ICU hospitalizations of coronavirus patients -- 438 -- was set on Jan. 20, but has also declined slowly since with the exception of Monday's bump. There were 37 staffed beds available as of Monday, which marked the 63rd consecutive day with more than 1,000 new cases.
Eleven new community outbreaks were reported Monday, among 57 reported in the past week tied to 340 infections.
The county has received more than 497,600 vaccines and more than 320,600 have been administered. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said there is a normal lag in reporting the numbers, but 1.9% of the county's population over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated and demand remains high.
San Diego County's fourth vaccination super station is scheduled to open Tuesday at the Grossmont Center shopping mall in La Mesa. The walk-up clinic will be vaccinating people from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
Up to 1,000 doses will be administered daily, but the daily capacity of the site operated by Sharp HealthCare is 5,000.
The Grossmont Center location will replace the site Sharp HealthCare had been operating on Wakarusa Street. Appointments made for that site transfer to the super station at the mall.
San Diego County's other vaccination super stations are to open located at Petco Park, the former Sears store in Chula Vista and California State University San Marcos. Many other smaller county clinics are also vaccinating people throughout the region.
To make an appointment or see a map of where vaccines are being distributed, go to www.vaccinationsuperstationsd.com.
As of last Thursday, the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District begin offering free transit rides on buses and trolleys to get people to and from their vaccination appointments. Riders need only show a confirmation email -- via a printout or on a smart phone -- of their vaccine appointment that day.
A vaccination super station opened on the Cal State San Marcos campus on Sunday, with the capability to vaccinate up to 5,000 individuals a day with appointments.
Fletcher said an East County Super Station is in the works for this week, but he didn't name a date or location.
The county's adjusted case rate is 49.6 new cases per 100,000 population. To be dropped into the more permissive red tier of the state's four- level reopening plan, cases have to be fewer than seven per 100,000.
