COVID updates: Here’s where California numbers stand a week before mask rules ease
California’s coronavirus numbers remain higher than pre-omicron levels but continue to drop fast as the surge subsides, and as the state prepares to drop the indoor masking requirement for the fully vaccinated and a few other restrictions next week.
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported a daily COVID-19 case rate of 84 per 100,000, down from a peak of nearly 300 per 100,000 in early January. Test positivity has trimmed to 8.7%, down from a high of 23%.
The latest case and positivity numbers remain above the rates from before omicron took hold as the dominant variant, of about 15 daily cases per 100,000 and test positivity around 2.3% in early December. But the gap is narrowing by the day.
CDPH also on Wednesday reported that just over 10,000 COVID-positive patients were being treated in hospitals Tuesday, down from about 13,000 one week earlier and from a high of close to 15,500 at the peak of the omicron surge in late January.
The total for virus patients in intensive care units fell to 1,958, dropping below 2,000 for the first time since Jan. 12. California peaked during the omicron surge at just over 2,600 in ICUs on Jan. 26.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials announced this week that the state’s indoor public mask mandate for the fully vaccinated will be allowed to expire Feb. 16.
Unvaccinated residents will still be required to wear masks in those settings, and masks will be required regardless of vaccination status in several places including health settings, long-term care facilities, prisons, on public transit and at K-12 schools.
Data show effectiveness of vaccines in California
CDPH provided a weekly update Wednesday to California’s per-capita case rate, hospitalization rate and fatalities by vaccination status.
By late January, the case rate was about six times higher in unvaccinated Californians than those who were fully vaccinated and boosted.
The unvaccinated were also 11 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus and 22 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who’d received boosters, the latest data show.
Nearly 28 million Californians ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated, CDPH said Wednesday, which is about 74% of residents ages 5 and older. Another 3.3 million, or 9% of the eligible population, are partially vaccinated with a first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
More than 13.4 million have received a booster dose, which is 55% of those who are fully vaccinated and in the eligible time frame to be boosted, according to state health officials.
Masking at ‘mega events,’ and other changes
The state also on Feb. 16 will revert its definitions and requirements for indoor “mega events.” CDPH during the omicron surge dropped the threshold for indoor gatherings to be considered mega events from 1,000 to 500 attendees, but will push the lower limit back up to 1,000 next week.
Businesses and venues hosting indoor mega events are required to have guests show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test in order to enter. Unvaccinated attendees must wear masks.
Additionally, the state allowed some of its omicron visitation restrictions for nursing homes to expire on Monday.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which banned visitations for state prison inmates beginning last month due to widespread omicron outbreaks, says its modified program limiting visits is due to expire next Monday.
Latest Sacramento-area numbers
Sacramento County has recorded 270,736 total lab-confirmed cases and 2,781 deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, according to local health officials.
The county on Wednesday reported the daily case rate at 62.6 per 100,000 residents, plummeting from an all-time high of 245 per 100,000 recorded Jan. 10.
According to CDPH, Sacramento County’s latest test positivity rate is 12.9%.
County hospitals were treating 479 patients with confirmed COVID-19 as of Tuesday, down from 603 one week earlier. The ICU total dropped to 93 from 102.
Placer County has tallied 59,988 cases and 540 virus deaths to date, last updated Monday.
Local health officials last reported the daily case rate at 91 per 100,000 for the week ending Jan. 29.
Placer’s positivity rate is 14.2%, CDPH reported Wednesday.
Placer County hospitals had 191 COVID-positive patients Tuesday, down from 193 one week earlier. The ICU tally decreased to 31 from 46.
Yolo County has confirmed 33,911 total infections and 281 deaths from COVID-19, last updated Tuesday.
The county’s latest reported case rate is 147 per 100,000, for the week ending Feb. 2.
CDPH reported Yolo County’s positivity rate at 3.4%, the lowest among all of the state’s 58 counties.
Yolo County hospitals were treating 10 patients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, down from 23 one week earlier. The ICU count declined to four from six.
El Dorado County has reported 25,638 cumulative cases and 190 deaths from COVID-19, last updated Tuesday.
El Dorado’s latest reported case rate, for the week ending Feb. 1, was 46 per 100,000.
The county had a positivity rate of 12.1%, CDPH reported Wednesday.
Hospitals in El Dorado County had 23 COVID-positive patients Tuesday, up from 19 a week earlier. The ICU total held at five.
Sutter County has recorded 21,403 cases and 215 deaths, and Yuba County has recorded 16,788 cases with 98 deaths, according to a Tuesday update from the bi-county health office.
CDPH reported Yuba County at 83 daily cases per 100,000 and Sutter County at 74 per 100,000 as of Wednesday. Positivity was 20.1% in Yuba and 17% in Sutter.
The lone hospital serving Yuba and Sutter counties, Adventist Health and Rideout in Marysville, as of Tuesday had 47 patients with confirmed COVID-19, down from 86 a week earlier. The ICU total ticked up from 12 to 13.
