County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations may be leveling off

Officials warn not to be complacent; numbers still high

The number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 has dropped slightly this past week, but county officials caution residents it’s not a cause to let your guard down.

“The number of hospitalizations for COVID may appear to be leveling off, but it is leveling off at a very high number,” Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County Public Health Official, said Friday.

As of Friday, San Joaquin County Emergency Medical Services Agency reported 311 patients were being treated for COVID-19 in the county’s seven hospitals, down from 315 reported the day prior, and the 333 reported on Monday.

In addition, patients being treated in an intensive care unit dropped slightly, with 93 reported Friday, down from the 96 reported at the beginning of the week. However, the county reports that ICU demand remains at record highs during the pandemic.

“We'd like to see the number significantly decrease,” Park said. “We are still well over 100% ICU capacity in our ICUs at 154% capacity today. There are still far too many patients in our ICUs on ventilators, and we are wary that effects from New Years are still forthcoming.”

St. Joseph’s Medical Center was treating 109 patients for COVID as of Friday, with 41 in the ICU, the highest on both counts in the county. Adventist Health Lodi

Memorial’s 51 total patients was the third-highest in the county, while its 13 ICU patients were the second highest.

Those numbers were slightly better than Monday, where St. Joseph’s was treating a total of 117 patients for the virus, and Lodi Memorial was treating 59.

Both ICU counts for those facilities had increased by one from numbers reported Monday.

While hospitalizations dropped, the county is still weeks away from climbing out of the regional stay-athome order, as ICU capacity in the San Joaquin Valley — which includes 12 counties — remains at 0%.

The county’s adjusted case rate as of Friday was 73.2 per 100,000 residents, and test positivity was 18.6%. Those rates need to be less than 7 per 100,000 residents and less than 8%, respectively, in order to move into the red tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

There have been 56,484 positive COVID-19 cases and 748 deaths in the county since the pandemic began, public health reported Friday.

Deaths were up 10 from Thursday, while cases increased by 904 over 24 hours.

County public health reported 5,618 deaths in Lodi’s two ZIP Codes, as well as 111 deaths. However, there have been 4,969 cases within the city limits and 99 deaths, while 85.65% of people testing positive have recovered. Those 99 deaths are second highest among the county’s seven incorporated cities.

Lodi’s case rate remains the second highest in the county at 731.49 per 10,000 residents, as well.