SAN DIEGO — On Monday at 2:30, San Diego County gave a coronavirus update. You can watch the entire update here.
Cox began by acknowledging that Mother's Day this year likely looked different for a lot of families due to social distancing.
“The best way to come out of this is together,” said Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
82,116 people have been tested countywide. The county announced 129 new positive cases on Monday, meaning 5,065 people have tested positive for COVID-19 countywide. Those patients range in age from three months old to 101 years old. The county reported no new deaths over the weekend, meaning 175 people have died of COVID-19 in San Diego County.
The county is working toward its goal of increasing the number of people tested daily, eventually leading up to a goal of 5,200 tests per day.
“We do not want to lose any of the gains we have made so far,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten.
A journalist asked how the number of suicides countywide at the point last year compared to this year. According to Wooten, 44 people died of suicide in March 2019, while 39 people died of suicide in March 2020. In April 2019, 31 people died of suicide. In April 2020, 28 people died of suicide. While it looks like less people have committed suicide this year compared to this time last year, Wooten said there are still medical examiner cases where the cause of death has yet to be officially determined, so that number may change when investigations are completed.
If someone is struggling with their mental health, Chairman Greg Cox encouraged people to call the Access & Crisis Center at (888) 724-7240. The 24/7 counseling is free and confidential.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has given a San Diego company, Quidel Corp., emergency-use authorization for its COVID-19 antigen test.
Company officials said the FDA gave them permission Saturday to market their Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA, a rapid point-of-care test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in nasal specimens from patients meeting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's criteria for suspected COVID-19 infection.
Health experts and lawmakers have said widespread testing is key to safely reopening the country but warn that current testing falls short.
The region's campgrounds opened Saturday with restrictions, including having every other campsite remain empty and only members of a single household allowed to share a site. Communal areas like playgrounds will remain closed. The opening of the campgrounds applies region-wide, but campgrounds under city jurisdictions can be closed by those cities.
The county is also opening tennis and handball courts, provided participants meet social-distancing requirements. Golf carts for single riders, regardless of age, will also be permitted. Additionally, rental of outdoor equipment like bikes, kayaks and surfboards will be allowed again.
Community pools are still closed and could be among the last places to reopen, going by the state's guidance.
A YMCA summer camp program for youth from low-income families was announced Saturday by San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
The program will provide childcare for parents who are going back to work during the coronavirus pandemic as more businesses reopen, said James Canning, Fletcher's spokesman.
A $1 million grant from The San Diego Foundation's COVID-19 Community Response Fund will support the initiative, Canning said. Details about the locations and opening dates will be announced soon.
Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine announced plans Saturday to reopen on May 18.
The casino has been closed for about two months in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Retail stores across the region have opened for curbside service provided they met San Diego County's guidelines.
The stores able to open Friday included bookstores, music stores, jewelers, shoe stores, toy stores, antique dealers, home and furnishings suppliers, sporting goods stores, clothing stores and florists, but those businesses will have to operate through curbside service or deliveries.
Manufacturing, warehouse and logistics businesses supporting those businesses were also able to open Friday.
Chula Vista announced the reopening of its parks and trails Friday for recreational activities, but face coverings are still required and residents must practice social distancing. Parking lots are open, but team sporting activities, gathering in groups and picnics are still prohibited.
The San Diego Community College District told students and staff Friday that it was preparing to continue its online and distance-learning classes through fall semester, with possible exceptions for labs and first- responder classes, which are difficult in an online setting.