Yuba-sutter area's test positivity rate remains high

Health officials say a recent drop in case counts and hospitalizations has been a promising sign, though the Yuba-sutter area's test positivity rate still remains high.

“We are still very much in the purple tier and it will take continued vigilance and adherence to social distancing, mask wearing, and avoiding gatherings with people who do not live with you to re-flatten the curve so that we can move from the purple to the red tier,” said Bi-county Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state is expanding vaccination prioritization to those 65 years and older. However, the Yuba-sutter area faces challenges in doing so this week due to a limited supply of doses.

Luu encouraged residents to be patient, as there are approximately 25,000 people that would now qualify for vaccination. The Yuba-sutter area's weekly allocation of vaccines ranges between 200-1,400 doses, so it could take about 25 weeks to finish out those 25,000 people – assuming they all register to be vaccinated.

“By this Sunday, after we host our next countysponsored vaccination clinic for the remaining direct healthcare workers in phase 1A, we will only have 10 doses left,” Luu said. “That's not enough to start on the 65+ population. We expect our next shipment of 1,400 doses to physically arrive here next Tuesday, Jan.

19, but there could be delays due to shipping and handling. By Wednesday, Jan. 20, we will release information on how to register for the vaccine if the expected 1,400 doses arrive as scheduled.”

The number of COVID-19 cases increased by 114 on Thursday, bringing the area's total to 12,205 cases. There are currently 1,067 active cases.

Seventy-three residents were hospitalized as of Thursday evening, while 145 people recovered from the virus. One local death was reported on Thursday – a total of 102 Yuba-sutter residents have died to date due to COVID-19.

“Patience is key. We have no control over the vaccine supply and are subject to shipment schedules,” Luu said. “Remember, this is not a light switch where we go from practicing all these tenets we know to one day dropping all of them. While we await residents to get both doses of their vaccines (protection from COVID-19 typically comes two weeks after the second dose), and see herd immunity grow. Meanwhile, we need to continue wearing our masks, avoiding gatherings outside our household, and staying home when sick.”