San Diego County residents, as well as those across the state and country, are itching to return to normal. The itch, however, has resulted in a significant spike in the number of community outbreaks that have occurred locally, according to new data released by San Diego County.
While the county chose to redact the exact locations of outbreaks that occurred in community settings such as gyms, nursing homes, restaurants, and other businesses, the information does show that July and August saw a steep increase in reported outbreaks.
The county did release data on the types of commercial operations where the outbreaks occurred.
According to county data, the majority of outbreaks occurred at restaurants and bars. The majority of those outbreaks were recorded in July, when the county reopened dining areas. The next highest setting were retail and commercial businesses. Unlike bars and restaurants where July saw the highest number, the majority of outbreaks that happened at those locations occurred in August. Healthcare facilities had the third-highest number of outbreaks.
In terms of the number of positive COVID-19 cases that were logged from each outbreak, restaurants and bars had the majority with 489 total cases while businesses had the second-highest with 458. Healthcare facilities, again, were the third highest. However, the 137 cases that occurred at those facilities were far less than what were recorded at eating and drinking establishments and businesses.
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The county released the data after Voice of San Diego and KPBS filed a lawsuit asking that all unredacted outbreak information be released to the public. That lawsuit is ongoing.
