COVID cases expected to keep rising through the next month

Wes Bowers, Lodi News-Sentinel, Calif.
·3 min read

May 20—As the entire state experiences the latest surge in COVID-19 cases due to the BA.2 and BA2.12.1 -micron sublineages, San Joaquin County health officials said it might not be until late June that infections begin to level off again.

"Our modeling predicts that we will continue to see a steady slow rise in cases for the next three to four weeks at least, before our case rate plateaus," said Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County's public health officer. "We continue to advise the public to follow CDPH's guidance on masking, which strongly recommends that individuals continue to mask in indoor public settings and businesses."

As of county public health's Monday COVID-19 report, the county's new case rate was 10.7 per 100,000, up from 7.4 per 100,000 a week prior.

In addition, the county's test positivity rate Monday was 5.6% — up form 4.2% on May 9 — and if the state was still using its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the county would be relegated back to the most restrictive "purple" tier.

Prior to the latest surge, the county would have been in the second-least restrictive "orange" tier.

Hospitalization saw a small uptick over the last week, with 13 people being treated for COVID-19 in the county's seven hospitals. There were eight people being treated on May 9.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the county has now reached 170,357 as of Monday, with 482 new cases reported over the weekend. There have also been 2,234 deaths, with two reported in the same time span.

Twenty-four new cases were reported in Lodi, which now has a total of 14,372. Deaths remained at 251.

No new cases or deaths have been reported in the 95220 ZIP code that includes Acampo, or in the 95227 ZIP code that includes Clements.

One new case was reported in Lockeford's portion of the 95240 ZIP code, and three were reported in its 95237 ZIP code. There have been 1,753 cases and 667 cases in its respective ZIP codes.

Six new cases were reported in the 95258 ZIP code that includes Woodbridge, as well as one new death. Totals are now 847 cases and 13 deaths in the ZIP code.

Full vaccinations remain steady at 64.6% throughout the county, while 13.3% are partially vaccinated. In Lodi, 74.3% are fully vaccinated and 14.6 are partially vaccinated.

Another 26.8% of the county's population has received a booster shot, while 32% are eligible but have not received one. Some 5.7% of those who are fully vaccinated are ineligible for booster, and 22% of the county's population remains unvaccinated.

Sacramento County Public Health reported on Thursday that there have been 289,409 cases and 3,166 deaths since the pandemic began. Seven new deaths have been reported, as well as 2,813 new cases. There have been 6,932 cases in Galt and 77 deaths.

About 66.3% of the county's population is fully vaccinated and 71.4% are partially vaccinated.

In Galt, 63% of the population fully vaccinated. Partial vaccinations by location are not provided.

Park will give her next COVID-19 update to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on May 24. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. on the Sixth Floor of 44 N. San Joaquin St. in Stockton. It will also be streamed live at www.youtube.com/c/sanjoaquincountyca.