COVID raging anew in 2022
A new COVID-19 surge in Tuolumne County appeared to be taking hold on Wednesday as the case rate skyrocketed, hospitalizations more than doubled, the first death attributed to the virus in nearly a month was reported, some businesses were being forced to close temporarily due to infections among staff, and sports teams postponed games.
An update from the county Public Health Department released Tuesday afternoon showed 94 new infections were confirmed that day, pushing the county’s daily case rate to 46.4 per 100,000 residents averaged over two weeks.
That rate was up from 37 per 100,000 residents on Monday and 17.1 per 100,000 two weeks earlier on Dec. 21.
The department also reported that 10 people in the county were hospitalized for the virus Tuesday afternoon, which was up by six from the previous day. Seven of those actively hospitalized were unvaccinated.
In addition, the department announced the county’s 149th death to COVID-19 on Tuesday and identified the deceased resident as an unvaccinated woman in her 60s. Exactly when and where she died was not disclosed.
It was the county’s first death attributed to the coronavirus since Dec. 10. Seven vaccinated people were among the 149 who have died since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, while the rest were unvaccinated or died before the vaccines became available last year.
Dr. Eric Sergienko, the county’s interim health officer, told the county Board of Supervisors at a public meeting on Tuesday during a monthly presentation on the status of the pandemic that the recent trends suggest the highly contagious new omicron variant has made its way to the county, though no cases have been officially confirmed yet as that can take weeks from the time a person tests positive.
Sergienko said what the county is seeing in terms of increasing numbers was similar to what has been seen in other parts of the United States and world
where the omicron variant was known to be present.
The continued concern, as it has been since the start of the pandemic, is how the rise in cases will impact the local medical system through hospitalizations.
While the omicron variant has appeared to cause milder illness than previous strains, Sergienko said data from South Africa where the omicron variant first emerged shows that the peak of hospitalizations there was close to what it was during an earlier surge caused by the delta variant.
Sergienko said he expected the omicron variant to peak in Tuolumne County within the next week or two.
Whether all the new cases were due to spread of the omicron variant or not, the county Public Health Department was reminding people that the agency’s pandemic response team continues case investigation and contact tracing.
However, the department was so overwhelmed by the surging numbers that it’s having to use so-called “virtual agents” to aid with those efforts.
“Due to the large increase in cases that we are experiencing, we will not reach everyone,” the agency said Tuesday. “If you receive a positive test result, you will likely receive a text or email from a ‘Virtual Agent’ to make contact and provide some information on what to do next. You can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by responding to texts, calls, or emails, and selfisolating when you have symptoms or a positive test result.”
It’s also crucial to notify any close contacts you’ve had from two days before you became ill or got tested, the department said. Any close contacts should follow current quarantine guidance and get tested three days to five days after exposure.
“If you are at high risk of severe disease or hospitalization, you can contact your doctor to discuss potential treatment options,” the department said. “If you are not symptomatic, have not tested positive for COVID-19 recently, and are not in quarantine, get vaccinated or boosted.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reduced the recommended number of days people should isolate or quarantine from 10 to 5, though some Tuolumne County businesses have still had to temporarily shutter because so many employees had tested positive.
Rush Creek Lodge, located near the entrance to Yosemite National Park on Highway 120, said on its website that it planned to be closed from Jan. 1 through 11 for the safety of guests after a number of cases among employees were identified through ongoing staff testing.
“We are so sorry that Covid has once again impacted our world and your world,” the lodge’s website said.
Badger Pass Ski Area in Yosemite announced on Tuesday that downhill operations for skiing and snowboarding will be temporarily closed until Sunday “due to impacts of COVID-19,” though other parts of the operation would remain open.
“The safety of our team members and park visitors is our highest priority and we thank you in advance for understanding,” a message on the ski area’s Facebook page said.
The undefeated Columbia College men’s basketball team have also had two games postponed this week, one that was scheduled to take place Wednesday against Fresno City College and another on Saturday against Porterville College at home.
New dates for the games had yet to be announced as of Wednesday, with the next one scheduled to take place on Jan. 12 against Reedley College in Reedley.
No high school sports teams had announced any postponements of upcoming games as of Wednesday afternoon, though the California Interscholastic Federation recently voted to allow winter sports teams to play games on Sunday due to a number of cancellations in other parts of the state.