41 more COVID-19 cases in Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County added 41 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, 37 of which were unvaccinated people.

There were 315 active cases in Tuolumne County by Wednesday afternoon, in addition to 22 COVId-positive individuals who were hospitalized — a high in recent weeks — as the latest surge driven by the delta variant showed no signs of slowing down locally.

New cases in Tuolumne County on Wednesday were identified as five girls and three boys under age 12; one boy between 12 and 17; one woman and two men between 18 and 29; five women and three men in their 30s; six women and three men in their 40s; three women and four men in their 50s; two men in their 60s; one woman and one man in their 70s; and one woman in her 90s.

Local public health authorities in four counties, including Tuolumne and Calaveras, issued guidance Wednesday for youth sports and extracurricular activities at schools, including strong recommendations for vaccines and masking.

Tuolumne County’s COVID-19 death toll as of Wednesday was 87, with five deaths counted so far in the past week. Calaveras County has counted 61 coronavirus deaths.

Nine of Tuolumne County’s deaths occurred between Aug. 11 and 17, while three of Calaveras

County’s occurred over the same seven days.

The Tuolumne County Public Health Department shared a statement this week from the state Department of Public Health emphasizing full federal approval of the Pfizer Biontech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 16 and older.

State authorities said the federal approval underscores the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time many communities are grappling with increasing cases fueled by the faster spreading delta variant.

“For weeks we have watched cases go up at an alarming pace among individuals who are not vaccinated while the vaccinated are largely protected, especially against severe and long-term illness,” Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, the state public health director and state public health officer, said.

“We know the vaccines work,” he said. “We know vaccines are safe. We know they save lives. If you are not vaccinated, let this be the milestone that gets you there. Get vaccinated to protect yourself and help put an end to this deadly pandemic.”