State to send 30 contact tracers to S.J. County
STOCKTON — Governor Gavin Newsom has said the state is providing technical assistance to counties with rising COVID-19 numbers.
San Joaquin County Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park has taken two recent calls that amounted to little more than a state worker asking if there is anything new to report and are there any new things driving the numbers up.
On Wednesday, though, the state announced it will provide the county 30 new contact tracers, who will work collaboratively across public and private agencies to stop the transmission of COVID-19.
Park said last week the state might intervene with recommendations to slow COVID-19 that might include shutting down business sectors again. San Joaquin was one of 11 counties on the state’s watch list for failing certain measures, such as percentage of available in
tensive care unit beds, percentage change in threeday average of COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients and the percentage of people testing positive. The county landed on the state’s watch list in late May/early June just weeks after passing the attestation to move more quickly through Stage 2 of the Governor’s phased recovery.
“I haven’t shut anything and we’re all just throwing up our hands and saying it is what it is,” Park said. “It still is an option but I don’t see the state making me do it. That’s the truth. The state, so far, has not asked me to close anything.
They’ve just asked what are the drivers and what am I doing to bring the numbers down.”
Park is confident the state won’t roll back the economy, but that in no way suggests the county or the state is out of the woods. Numbers have spiked since late April when the state began relaxing the stay-at-home order and spring time celebrations brought large groups together, such as Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and protests related to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. In San Joaquin County, Park said the spike has hit closer to home.
“Transmissions we’re getting are from gatherings with friends and families at home,” Park told the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors at Wednesday’s scheduled meeting.
San Joaquin Public Health Services soon will launch a massive information campaign that will focus on areas hardest hit by the virus, especially the Hispanic/Latino community that represents 41% of the population and more than 45% of total cases. The campaign will stress physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks and staying home.
According to the county, as of Wednesday there were 2,560 total cases, up from 160 the previous day; 1,225 total recovered; 973 total cases the past 14 days, more than five times the state’s limit; 91 currently hospitalized, nearly five times the limit; 48 total deaths, 2% of cases; and 27 total outbreaks, including 59.3% community spread. Through June 19, 1,710 cases were in Stockton, 265 in Tracy, 266 in Manteca, 229 in Lodi, 74 in Lathrop, 35 in Ripon, 34 in Escalon, 127 in unincorporated areas and two unknown.
Park said over the past 14 days, more than 13,000 have been tested and the positive rate, 8.4%, remains above the state limit. The most impacted age group of positive results are adults ages 25-34 and 3544, both with more than 500 cases each evenly split between males and females. However, the percentage of those who have died, 93.7%, have been 50 and older.
Community transmission remains the highest outbreak setting by group, 59.3%, followed by skilled nursing facilities (29.6%) and congregations (11.1%).