Update: 34 New COVID-19 Cases In Tuolumne, 35 New Cases In Calaveras

COVID-19 Regional Report

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Update at 11:45 a.m.:  For those hoping to get tested for COVID-19 today, you will not be able to go to the state’s testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora. It has been closed due to a staffing issue. Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services says updates regarding the site’s re-opening will be provided when they become available.

Original post written by Sabrina Biehl on Friday at 4:46 p.m.: Tuolumne Public Health reports 34 new cases identified since yesterday, 30 are community cases and 4 new cases are Sierra Conservation Center inmates. There are 314 active community cases including 22 who are hospitalized 1 of the 6 ICU beds in the county was available yesterday (the most recent information available). The total current case rate, a 14-day rolling average for Tuolumne County is up to 65.6 per 100,000 population from a previous high of 67 yesterday. Of the 30 new community cases, 1 was vaccinated with Moderna.

The new cases include 5 cases age 17 or under and 12 cases age 60 and older, public health reported Tuesday that a local care facility. The gender and age breakdown is; 3 girls and 2 boys age 0-11, 3 women and 4 men age 18-29, 1 woman and 2 men age 30-39, 2 men age 40-49, 1 woman 50-59, 2 women and 2 men age 60-69, 1 woman and 1 man age 70 to 79, and 4 women 80 to 89 and 2 women age 90 or older.

A total of 22,844 Tuolumne residents have been vaccinated an increase of 280 and 4,352 are partially vaccinated an increase of 306. The vaccination rate is 54% of eligible people in Tuolumne, those age 12 and older. The California department of corrections reports 27 active cases at the Sierra Conservation Center (SCC). A total of 1,561 inmate cases have been resolved, there are 3,318 inmates, which includes all southern fire camps. A total of 70% of inmates are vaccinated and 41% of the staff, the 6th lowest staff vaccination rate in the state. The Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) in Amador has 3,867 inmates with 89% fully vaccinated the second-highest rate of vaccination in the CA prison system and 48% of their staff is vaccinated. MCSP had 1,863 Covid infections, most in January, they have tested 903 inmates in the last 14 days and continue to report zero new Covid cases since July 9.

Calaveras County Public Health reported 35 new Covid cases since yesterday. Active cases increased to 79 from 75 active cases yesterday. There are six active Covid hospitalizations, and few hospital beds available as stated in a joint notification from Public Health and Mark Twain Medical Center here. There are 10 new cases age 0-17 and four new cases in individuals 65 years old and older. Since the pandemic began Calaveras has had 354 Covid-19 positive people who are 17 and under and 520 Covid-19 positive people 65 and over.

Mariposa County Public Health reports 12 new cases since yesterday, there are 96 active cases up from 90 yesterday and 11 individuals are hospitalized. Mariposa Public Health shares a few tips in these trying times, “For many people, the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 is the hardest thing to handle. There are so many things outside of our control, including how long the pandemic lasts, how other people behave, and what’s going to happen in our community and that can take an emotional toll. When things feel overwhelming, remind yourself there are things we can control to protect ourselves and loved ones from COVID-19.” Learn more at CDC.gov here. Additionally, they share “Be kind online. Social media can bring people together, but without seeing the face on the other side it can be hard to keep kindness and humanity at the forefront of our minds. As you are commenting and interacting with others on social media, it’s important to remember there is a human on the other side. It can be helpful to take a moment and think about what you are saying. Tones and sarcasm can’t always be recognized and you can hurt someone without even knowing it. We don’t know what the other person is currently experiencing.” They add, “It’s never a bad idea to throw kindness around like confetti.” Mariposa Public Health also says, “Do you ever see information presented and want to know more? Our team is working to help you answer some of the questions you might have and learn how to identify misinformation or information taken out of context.”

As an example they note things to consider if someone asks, “But What About The Numbers Out of Israel?”

• Ending a global pandemic takes global, communal efforts. We live in an interconnected world and if one area is struggling with outbreaks, the risk for more dangerous variants impacts us all.
• Looking at the total population vs. the eligible population, while 78% of [Israel’s] eligible population has been vaccinated, that only represents 58% of their total population.
• Variants can impact efficacy. The vaccines are still effective at preventing infection with the Delta variant, but we know the more a virus is allowed to spread unchecked, the higher the risk for more dangerous variants to emerge.
• Vaccines work to prevent infection, BUT ALSO work to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, or death. The Health
• Ministry data for Israel showed the rate of serious illness in those 60 years and older was nine times (!) higher in unvaccinated individuals. In those under 60, it was more than two times higher.
• Of those hospitalized in Israel for COVID-19, most of the fully vaccinated cases were in individuals 60 years or older with comorbidities. In contrast, the younger age groups that were relativity healthy prior to infection were mostly unvaccinated and their condition deteriorated rapidly.

Public Health concludes “We don’t have a single perfect tool to stop COVID-19. Vaccines are highly effective, but we also need to focus on other preventative measures as well as giving immunity to more of the global population to reduce the rate of spread. There’s A LOT of information out there and we know it can be overwhelming to take it all in. Let our team help!” Call or email them with any questions you may have at (209) 259-1332 or mariposacovid19@gmail.com or Tuolumne is available at (209) 533-7440 Health@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov, more numbers are available on our COVID-19 page here.

Hospital Status Stanislaus reported 13 ICU beds available of 100 total yesterday and improvement from 5 the day before, San Joaquin County reported 8 ICU beds, Sacramento had 75 ICU beds available. Individuals from Tuolumne are taken to the surrounding counties for care as needed, children from Tuolumne County may be cared for in bay area hospitals. San Francisco reported 80 ICU beds of 150 ICU beds up from 76 the previous day.

A local Health Officer Order was issued related to youth sports and extracurricular activities for Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Amador Counties, details are here.