S.J. County still seeing rise in COVID-19 cases

Like many California counties, San Joaquin County was successful in “flattening the curve” of novel coronavirus infections during the statewide shutdown.

However, the virus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating within the county, with more cases beginning to appear in recent days.

From April 21 through May 27, San Joaquin County saw an average of 10.8 new cases per day, according to data collected by San Joaquin County Public Health Services and shared through its online data dashboard.

Aside from a spike on May 24, no day during that period showed more than 20 new cases. Many days were in the single digits.

But beginning on May 28, the county began to see cases climb again, with 44 reported on May 29, the highest number of new cases in the county on a single day, according to the PHS data dashboard.

San Joaquin County had seen a total of 1,024 cases as of June 3. So far, Lodi has seen a total of only 47

cases. Throughout the pandemic, 199 people — 19.4% of the known cases — have been hospitalized, with 81 ending up in the ICU. Thirty-five people have died, while 753 have recovered.

So what’s behind the increases over the past week?

There are multiple factors, Public Health spokeswoman Krista Dommer said, with more widespread testing playing a role.

“Skilled nursing facilities are now being required to test all staff and residents. We’re finding more positives in those settings,” she said. “When there is a positive in the facility, testing will be conducted more frequently.”

Earlier in the pandemic, if several members of an immediate household showed symptoms and one member tested positive for COVID19, the other members were considered “presumed positive,” but were not tested, Dommer said. Those untested cases were not included in the county’s numbers for COVID-19 even though they likely had the virus.

“Now, with more tests available, all close contacts are being tested, and we’re finding multiple positive cases in a single household,” Dommer said.

San Joaquin County has had 15 outbreaks of COVID-19; according to the county data, 40% of those have been in skilled nursing facilities and another 20% in congregate living. The rest have been due to community spread.

But some of the growth may also be attributed to the county opening back up — which is why it’s so important for people to still practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently and avoid unnecessary crowds and travel, according to Public Health.

There is a lag of anywhere from one to three weeks between when someone is exposed to the virus and when they are diagnosed and that data is reported to San Joaquin County, Dommer said.

“So our increases now are likely from the first holiday weekend and when businesses began to become more open,” she said.

At this time, San Joaquin County remains open. However, the State of California is determining metrics that might lead some counties to reclose, if they begin seeing large numbers of new cases. As of now, the state has not finalized or issued those metrics yet.

To prevent the spread of COVID19, California officials recommend wearing a face covering in public, washing your hands frequently and that you avoid touching your face, and stay home if you have any symptoms of illness or if you have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case.

San Joaquin County residents should also avoid unnecessary travel and continue to practice social distancing when possible, according to a flyer on the Public Health Services website.

For more information, visit covid19.ca.gov and www.sjcphs.org.

San Joaquin County is also seeking unpaid, volunteer contact tracers. For more information, email volunteer@sjcphs.org with the subject “Contact Tracer.”