SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday afternoon, Chairman Greg Cox, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Dr. Wilma Wooten, Dr. Eric McDonald, and Peter Callstrom, CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, gave a COVID-19 update in San Diego County.
“In San Diego, we have been generally successful in flattening the curve,” said Fletcher.
The relationship between California's health and public workforce was the topic earlier on Tuesday when Governor Gavin Newsom outlined indicators that will need to be met before the state's economy can reopen -- such as increasing testing capacity and ensuring protection for at-risk people. Fletcher echoed San Diego County’s commitment to following the six guidelines Newsom announced on Tuesday.
“The worst thing that we can do is prematurely move,” said Fletcher.
Fletcher reiterated the importance of physical distancing.
“Our way of life will be different for a while,” said Fletcher.
The Lucky Duck Foundation is privately paying for COVID-19 testing for unsheltered people in the Convention Center starting Thursday. Additionally, McDonald said the county hopes to expand testing capacity for all people who have symptoms in different hospitals.
In San Diego County, 1,930 people have tested positive for COVID-19 out of the 27,048 people that have been tested. The county announced 83 new cases on Tuesday, none of which are homeless people.
53 people have died countywide. These newly-announced deaths were people ranging in age from 63 to 100, according to McDonald. If a person dies at home, the medical examiner is in charge of investigating.
Fletcher said that more than 2 million PPE items have been given out countywide. As of Tuesday, 589 ventilators are available at 23 reporting hospitals.
Callstrom said his organization wants to connect San Diegans looking for work to employers with openings.
“We’re a matchmaker. We put folks to work,” said Callstrom.
All of those career services are available online. Callstrom said that as of Tuesday, there are more than 300 job openings on their career portal at a variety of companies.
On April 2, Callstrom said mass layoffs are a cause for concern for the San Diego community. Callstrom hoped incoming funding would come so his company could help employers and employees during this difficult time.
“We just really feel for the community,” said Callstrom that Thursday.