COVID-19 DEATHS IN COUNTY NEARLY DOUBLE IN ONE WEEK

Source: County News Service

September 3, 2021 (San Diego) – COVID-19 deaths countywide nearly doubled in the past week, with 49 deaths Aug. 25-31, up from 25 the week before, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced on Sept. 1.

“Unvaccinated San Diegans are primarily the ones ending up in the hospital and, unfortunately, dying,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the County Public health officer. “These deaths are very tragic because they could have been prevented,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “We now have very safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19. These deaths should not have occurred.”

Most of the deaths being reported now have been San Diegans who were not vaccinated, and roughly half were ages 40-60, with the rest in their 70s or 80s.

Public health officials expected that more people would get vaccinated after the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 23. The region has seen a slight uptick in vaccinations.

An average of 3,749 San Diegans got their first doses daily between Aug. 23 and Aug. 28. In comparison, an average of 3,651 people received their first shot between Aug. 17 and Aug. 22.

Free COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in the region. They can be found at medical providers, retail pharmacies, community clinics and County public health centers for people who do not have a medical provider. For a list of locations and more information, visit www.coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

As the Delta variant surges, 66 new community outbreaks were confirmed in the last week of August:  25 in business settings, 11 in daycare/preschool/childcare settings, nine in restaurant/bar settings, six in retail settings, five in health care settings, five in faith-based settings, four in TK-12 grade school settings, three in government settings, two in construction settings, one in an emergency services setting, one in a hotel/resort/spa setting, one in a restaurant setting, one in a grocery setting, one in a distribution warehouse setting and one in a college/university setting.