Kern, much of state, drop to ‘low’ COVID-19 transmission ranking
What a difference a week can make! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kern County and most of California dropped to a low ranking for COVID-19 transmission last week, with just 17 of the state’s 58 counties ranked medium and none ranked high.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses transmission rankings to measure COVID-19 community levels by county throughout the United States.
On a map, counties colored green are identified as having low transmission rates; yellow indicates medium transmission rates and counties colored orange have high transmission rates.
Indicators for community levels are related to new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, both on a seven-day average.
If it’s less than 10 percent, the transmission rate is considered low. But as metrics rise, the level is adjusted, first to medium and then to high.
Across the country, the CDC reported that more than 62.53 percent of counties had a low transmission rate with 31.38 percent at medium and only 6.09 percent at high.
LOCAL NUMBERS
The latest data from Kern County Public Health on Jan. 20 showed four COVID-19 deaths countywide since Jan. 13. The department does not release death data by community, citing privacy concerns.
The department reported seven new cases in the 93561 ZIP code since Jan. 13. The total number of cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 is 10,500.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported 5 active cases among the incarcerated population at the California Correctional Institution on Jan. 20. It also reported 9 active cases among CCI staff as of Jan. 18.
TESTING AND VACCINATIONS
The health department reminds residents they can find testing locations by going to kernpublichealth. com, clicking on the COVID-19 button and looking for “find a testing site near you.”
Current vaccination information is available online at kernpublichealth. com/coronavirus-vaccine. According to the California Department of Public health, COVID-19 vaccinations are now available for
children under 5. Children can now get vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine if they are 6 months or older.
FREE TEST KITS
The federal government is again offering free COVID-19 at-home test kits. Information is available online
at covid.gov/tests.
OTHER PRECAUTIONS
The local public health department reminds people to do the following to help prevent respiratory illness, including COVID-19: Wash hands often Avoid being around people who are sick
Cover coughs and sneezes
Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
Stay home when you are sick
Get your COVID-19 and flu vaccine