By Tony Hicks – COVID-19 case rates in Contra Costa County went down 21 consecutive days as of Tuesday, which has county health officials eyeing two weeks from now, when the state’s mask mandate is likely to be lifted.
County Health Services Director Anna Roth told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the county has seen a 29 percent reduction in its COVID case rate in recent weeks.
“So this is a good sign,” Roth said. “This does support and indicate we are coming to the other side of this latest winter wave that was predominantly the omicron variant.”
Hospitalization rates — another indicator of how the county is doing against the pandemic — typically follow case rates, both up and down, by a couple weeks.
“We actually have seen four consecutive days of hospitalizations going down,” Roth said. “We’re currently today at 274 (down from 281 last week). That said, we actually saw it go up and down last week … so there’s still some work ahead, but these are all really good indicators.”
Roth said some hospitals reached 90 percent of intensive care unit capacity in recent weeks, and a wave of infections among county workers is still problematic. January ended with 404 cases among county health workers.
That number has gone from 47 in July, to 13 in November, then up to 103 in December.
“This combination of staffing shortages, as well as high patient counts, continues to make the hospitals’ capacity and the health care system’s ability to respond a top priority to us,” Roth said.
The county has hit the 80 percent mark of all eligible residents being vaccinated, though the number dips when it comes to boosters.
“We know the boosters are really important; 48 percent of our county population who is over 12 have received both their first and second dose as well as a booster,” Roth told the board. “That number actually goes down when we start looking at the equity gap.”
“Right now, we’re only at 29.1 percent African Americans who are fully vaccinated and boosted, and 28.2 percent of Latinx. So we still have a lot of work to do. If you aren’t vaccinated and boosted, you’re nine times more likely to be hospitalized if you get COVID than someone who’s had that booster. So that booster is really important, particularly during this wave.”
Dr. Ori Tzvieli, the county’s deputy health officer, said he expects the state to lift the indoor masking order on Feb. 15, which may not jibe with the county’s own order, which has three components.
Eight weeks have had to pass since vaccines were authorized for children 5 to 11 years old. The second is reaching the CDC’s moderate transmission tier for three weeks. There must also be fewer than 75 hospitalizations. Contra Costa currently has more than 270 hospitalizations.
“We’re still not there where we want to be,” Tzvieli said. “Over the next two weeks we’re going to be looking at the numbers closely. We’re going to figure out the best way to align our own order with the state’s.”
59 comments
Mitchoff hardest hit.
Johns Hopkins new metanalysis proves that the lockdowns and restrictions that this county is still going through changed nothing. There is no difference in mortality rates between us, one of the most restricted counties in the nation, and the most open counties that never were subjected to lockdowns and mandates.
Report’s Conclusion:
“Finally, allow us to broaden our perspective after presenting our meta-analysis that focuses on the following question: “What does the evidence tell us about the effects of lockdowns on mortality?” We provide a firm answer to this question: The evidence fails to confirm that lockdowns have a significant effect in reducing COVID-19 mortality. The effect is little to none. The use of lockdowns is a unique feature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have not been used to such a large extent during any of the pandemics of the past century. However, lockdowns during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic have had devastating effects. They have contributed to reducing economic activity, raising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence, and undermining liberal democracy. These costs to society must be compared to the benefits of lockdowns, which our meta-analysis has shown are marginal at best. Such a standard benefit-cost calculation leads to a strong conclusion: lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument. ”
https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/iae/files/2022/01/A-Literature-Review-and-Meta-Analysis-of-the-Effects-of-Lockdowns-on-COVID-19-Mortality.pdf
How can the county justify any of this anymore?
@CS-I appreciate the link to this study. The County Health department cannot justify their policies and are merely trying to save face while continuing the course of a point of no return for them–the harm is indisputable! Unfortunately, no one will be held responsible for this when the aftermath is quantified…which explains the retirement of Dr. Farnitano.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Here in Contra Costa County they are going to keep the mask mandate even though the state lifts theirs.
We can either accept our overlords or stand up and fight for our rights.
That Latinx population must be very small. I’ve never met a Latinx person. Latino, Hispanic, yes, but Latinx, nope.
I concur, Tito! I don’t know of anyone who uses that word…in fact, Hispanics I know, which include soon to graduate college students hear it as a slur!
Does the white liberal “savior” woman really think Latinos will listen to her when she uses the term Latinx? Only her fellow wokesters listen to these clowns
End all mandates now.
Ignore all mandates now.
It’s over.
Done.
Tell the corrupt board and health department to resign.
It’s time there were honest people with good character values in those jobs.
Thanks to the 27,307,403 people in Contra Costa County that are fully vaccinated. As of today that is 69.1% of the people in CCC. Info from CCHS.
Wow, 27 million vaxxed out of a county of 1.2 million. You math works as well as your vaccine.
Bill
It is closer to 805,566 but why quibble over a 26.5 million rounding up error I say.
Roth can shove it.
It may take years, even decades. But there is a reckoning these people will have to deal with. They may pass on from natural causes by the time it comes, but we will drag their names through the mud as an example to future generations that tyranny comes in all shapes and forms, including doctors.
By the way, keep using the term Latinx. Latinos actually hate it, but I guess these champagne socialists would have to mingle with their serfs to learn that.
Also, we need to ban any and all public employees from conducting any meetings etc virtually. These public SERVANTS need to have their physical butts in their physical seats at their public servant desk. We need to ORDER these PUBLIC SERVANTS to act like the public workers they are. They don’t get to make rules that keep people from doing their job then continue to do their job using innovation from the private sector.
The free ride is over government workers. Y’all skated by under the radar but now we have a microscope on you and it’s not going away for quite a few decades. Personally I believe the CC health department needs to be disbanded, and the county broken up into at least 3 separate counties.
The board of supervisors, the CC health department have proven they are inept. Break up contra costa county, it’s not possible to manage this many people and they have proven it.
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The County is showing a 32.5% decline in the average daily rate of new cases over the past seven days. We peaked on January 9, and new daily cases have been going down since then. Hopefully, we will see much lower numbers by February 15 so the current restrictions can be safely loosened up. Even so, I suppose we will have to keep looking over our shoulders for some new variant that may come along.
The mask is there to keep the hoax in your face,and if it is gone people will forget about this and go back to their lives,and they dont want that.Fear makes control easy,and people with no life have a cause now,they think they should tell you to wear a mask,get a poison shot,etc.They finally belong to a very special group,in their heads.
The case rates that really matter are : How many cases of chinese masks and tests remain to be sold?
Latinx
Just another made-up word.
These brainiacs got nuthin better to do than make up new words and new numbers in an attempt to sell the lie.
That’s why they all should be ousted without pension.
The harm they’ve done is criminal.
Latinx…..please do not add to my language just to suit your woke agenda. Say that in a Spanish-speaking country and people REALLY won’t take you seriously.
The word Latinx is actually very offensive to both Mexicans and South Americans! They don’t like that word- a word that was invented by liberal white elites. They meant to throw all people into one non-tender specific group.
Reminds me of a bumper sticker from last year,
C’Mon Man
“we must choose truth over facts”
Wow that hurt my head, Facts are Truth. You do know that, right?
Ardeth, can I forward your response to the White House?
What happens when biden doesn’t read what someone else writes for him off a teleprompter . . . close to obama’s magic wand . . .
https://tinyurl.com/49m8abp2
The Lancet even published an article today…”The era of extraordinary measures by government and societies to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission will be over. After the omicron wave, COVID-19 will return but the pandemic will not.”
The emergency powers bestowed upon themselves needs to end—whether or not this happens depends on civil disobedience, in my opinion.
I will believe it when I see it.
It’s all about power over the people.
We will lift the restrictions today but they will be back next week or next month.
I don’t know how to say it better.
“COVID IS HERE TO STAY”
Just like the common cold or the flu.
Not only end the mask mandates but eliminate the “Papers, please.” nonsense as well!!
#feb1
AD
I honestly think that the only way that the “orders”, “restrictions”, etc. will end in this county is when we all decide to end them ourselves. That will likely make for some uncomfortable situations and interactions in the short term but we have to do what we feel is right in my opinion.
@jprcards
More and more folks are already doing it, so it’s like you said, we’re ending the restrictions and mandates ourselves, which is why the county health advisors and stupidvisors are talking about loosening them…….they have to feel that THEY’RE the ones in control.
Lift it all before the truckers surround the county seat.
@Bill- Certainly appreciate your post.
The case rate going down has nothing to do with the mask mandate or the stupid vaccine requirement at indoor dining. It’s a matter of herd immunity were everybody’s either got the vaccine or has had Covid, multiple times. Pretty
.
These stats are conflated and don’t present the true hospitalization status.
.
How many are in the ICU due to covid versus those in the ICU who happen to have covid?
.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE STOP WEARING MASKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grocery stores, big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot etc, don’t care if you wear them or not.
Many of the employees don’t want you to wear a mask either. The sooner you stop wearing yours, the sooner they can get their muzzles off as well. This whole thing was only possible with people’s consent. So if you want to see change, stop giving yours. SET THE FACES FREE!
tell the whackos in Ace hardware on Ygnacio valley road.When I told them I cant wear a mask because of a medical problem humpty dumpty waddled up to be and said I would need to leave,I said good,your store is so small its not worth losing a few minute off my life by wearing a mask here,they have a tiny paint section and didnt have anything I needed,that they do have at other Ace hardware stores..And you do shorten your life every time you wear a mask,and if your masks ingredients say “poly” youre breathing in sythetics and getting lung cancer.The mask will wiegh much less when youre done with it,and all those fibers went inside you.All you maskers,this is part of the elites plan to rid the planet of 15/16 of the population.It was all an intelligence test.And most failed and are now in the early stages of the end of their life.Keep preaching bout’ dem masks….suckers.
The case rate is a manufactured number. It’s directly tied to the number of tests.
Let’s pretend the positivity is always 10%. You test 100 people and you will discover 10 cases. The next day you test 80 people. You will discover 8 cases. The drop in the number of cases is not because COVID-19 was declining from one day to the next. Nearly all of the testing is because people need to get tested to go to work or an event or as part of survey screening.
In reality, the positivity goes changes from day to day but in practice it only changes a little bit. The number of tests per day have been changing by a lot. I have uploaded three charts to https://imgur.com/a/kaq9hah All three show daily data from Number of tests per day from 11/1/2021 to 1/31/2022 with the charts showing the number of tests, number of cases, and the positivity rate.
You can also see the dips in testing every weekend, and the resulting dip in the number of cases found.
The mask mandate didn’t stop the omicron wave, did it? Endless doubling down on ineffective and intrusive policies.
If you want to be protected by masking, wear a real respirator mask, properly fitted. Then you’re good and it doesn’t matter what other people are wearing. Cloth mask don’t do anything and surgical masks are marginal. Masking should be an individual decision at this point: wear a real mask, or don’t. If you do, you don’t have to worry about others masking. But currently the mask mandate isn’t really protecting you anyway.
Face it, folks. These masks aren’t going anywhere. They’re going to lift the mandate for a couple of weeks, and then there will be a “surge” in covid cases, and then the masks will be back. They’re just teasing us with these “lifts”.
I lifted the mask mandate for myself long ago.😉
As long CCC continues to conjure up an “Equity Gap”, the masks will stay.
As a proud CaucasianX, I find this objectionable.
They can’t let this happen!
Time to whip out a new scary variant!
Boo !
I’d suggest those of you patting yourselves on the back for bowing to your masters read a little on how countries with extremely low vax rates are also now entering the endemic phase. It’s even on your beloved NPR.
I think maybe though, you were already too open minded and your brains fell out?
Just 2 more weeks to slow the spread guys!
Kids need to build up their natural immunity before getting all this stuff input I to their young bodies.
The repercussions could be endless.
Doesn’t matter contra costa won’t lift it
And when they eventually do, many corporations will continue to require it in their stores, mask will be around for years.
“We’re from the government and we’re here to help you” has indeed proven to be a threat everyone should fight against.
Research is finally showing that masks and shutting down to economy did not slow down the Communist Chinese Bioweapon. And the SIDE-EFFECTS of draconian lockdowns? Suicide, drug-overdose rates at record highs. Many cases of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc… were not diagnosed in a timely fashion. Possibly a million businesses bankrupted and closed. National debt skyrocketed. Inflation soaring. Children lost over a year of learning, on average.
Any other drug or therapy with those side effects would be made illegal and the manufacturer sued.
H1N1 swine flu originated in central Mexico and came across southern border, first cases were in CA.
Federal level,
“Before H1N1 in 2009, we had over 100 million N95 masks in the stockpile,” an official said. “During that event they handed out 90 million of those masks to the states. They were never replenished.”
“… testimony to Congress from Rick Bright, a vaccine expert who led a biodefense agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, who said his superiors ignored warnings about the need to prepare ahead of COVID-19.”
NY Post https://tinyurl.com/3yhzret5
washington examiner https://tinyurl.com/rvdshjf6
California
2006 after avian flu outbreak,
“The rational forward looking Governor Schwarzenegger set up a mobile hospitals program along with stockpiling of 50 million N95 masks, 2,400 portable ventilators along with 21,000 additional patient beds in ready to set up kit form in a warehouse up in Sacramento.” ….
“They were ready to roll whenever disaster struck California: three 200-bed mobile hospitals that could be deployed to the scene of a crisis on flatbed trucks and provide advanced medical care to the injured and sick within 72 hours. Each of the three hospitals would be the size of a football field, with a surgery ward, intensive care unit and X-ray equipment.
Medical response teams would also have access to a massive stockpile of emergency supplies: 50 million N95 respirators, 2,400 portable ventilators and kits to set up 21,000 additional patient beds wherever they were needed.
Gov. moonbeam’ administration did away with CA’s Medical Supply Stock pile, including three 200-bed mobile hospitals, equipment was given away, sold off or sent to a landfill
‘What Happened to California’s Medical Supply Stockpile for a Pandemic’
https://tinyurl.com/26hufd87
‘Schwarzenegger: ‘Shortsighted’ for California to defund pandemic stockpile he built’
https://tinyurl.com/24xdmuvc
DEM efficiency . . .
SO, when Covid hit there weren’t enough N95 masks available ! ! !
READ, Katy Grimes’ article May 28, 2020 California Globe dot com
Actually, Swine Flu was first isolated in, you guessed it, Communist China. Just to set the record straight. I don’t think that virus was bioengineered, but I am pretty sure that Xi Corona Virus came out of the Wuhan Bioweapons Lab and the CCP lied to the world so we would all be harmed and they would not be held accountable.
Keep your eye on the goal posts… they tend to move a lot!
I tested positive for COVID about 6 weeks ago…………I had a stuffy nose for 3 days.
Thank God you survived this terrible disease!! Lmao!
The health department undercuts its own credibility whenever it uses made up words like “Latinx” or refers to pregnant women as “pregnant persons”.
There are still only two genders, by the way. I believe in science. Wish our health department did.
Maybe the health department should ask the foreign continent hyphen Americans about things like the Tuskegee experiment to get a better idea of why their jab rate is so low.
To all of the naysayers and “freedom” lovers. Your freedom stops at my personal space. I care about my neighbors and eagerly accepted all three vaccinations. In my opinion we will continue to get more and more variants because of selfish, backwards and stupid people who refuse to do anything to not only protect themselves but for others in their community. Darwin was right!
Then stay in your own personal space and don’t worry about what anyone else does. And stay out of my personal space!
@macwiz, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.
macwiz ,I hope you wrote a will,but low info people usually dont have much.
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