July was a tough month for San Diego in the fight against the novel coronavirus, but August 2020 brought better days. The county made significant progress on its case rate, working its way off the state's COVID-19 monitoring list and paving the way for another round of reopening.
As August began, county public health officials said numbers were looking better. If the county could keep its case rate below 100 cases per 100,000 residents for three straight days, then San Diego County would be taken off California's watch list. On Aug. 18, that happened.
Then, another countdown was on: a 14-day stretch where the case rate would need to remain below 100 in order for permission to be granted for schools to reopen in person. If that happened through Aug. 31, then K-12 schools could reopen for in-person instruction by Sept. 1. Of course, districts would have the final say on when and how their physical campuses would reopen.
The 2020-2021 school year began for many local districts in mid and late August, and all began in distance learning mode. San Diego Unified School District started its school year on Aug. 31.
After San Diego County made its way off the watch list, businesses like restaurants, gyms, and salons waited anxiously for reopening guidance from the state.
On Aug. 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new blueprint for reopening California's businesses. His new plan involved a color-coded, 4-tier system that would categorize counties depending on case rate and positivity rate. As of Aug. 31, San Diego County was on the red tier, the tier where those rates are considered "substantial," but more indoor services can reopen with reduced capacity.
Here's what is and isn't open under that red tier in San Diego County.
Here's a closer look, day by day, at what happened in August 2020 in San Diego County during the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19 Patients in San Diego County
San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials confirmed there have been 38,300 total positive COVID-19 cases and 682 deaths since Feb. 14, 2020.
As testing capacity increases in San Diego County, the ratio of positive cases to the total amount of people being tested will change but any increase in the number of positive cases as a percentage of total tests would indicate an increase in spread. Before mid-June, the county had a 14-day rolling average between 2% to 3% of positive cases, according to the county.
The county is consistently beating its goal of providing more than 6,700 tests a day to anyone who wants one. This allows health officials to better track the disease, particularly among residents who may not show symptoms of COVID-19 but can just as easily spread the disease.
Other Data: COVID-19 case totals by age and gender; Map of case totals by city of residence; Case totals by race/ethnicity; Tests reported by day; Statistics regarding hospitalized patients; Statistics regarding deceased patients.
Second Half of August 2020
Aug. 31
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County public health officials reported 304 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 31 out of 5,731 tests for a 5.3% positive rate. The total number of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County now stood at 38,604. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 3.7%, and the target is less than 8.0%. The daily, 7-day average of tests is 6,543 which is less than the coutny's per-day goal. No new deaths were reported on this date, keeping the total number of COVID-related deaths in San Diego County to 682.
Community Outbreaks: Two new community outbreaks were confirmed on Aug. 31: one at a restaurant/bar and one in a business setting. In the past seven days, 16 community outbreaks were confirmed. The number of community outbreaks remains above the county’s trigger of seven or more in seven days
The San Diego Unified School District began its 2020-2021 school year on Aug. 31, all with distance learning -- at least for now.
Aug. 30
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County public health officials reported 253 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 30 out of 5,360 tests for a 5% positive rate. The total number of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County now stood at 38,300. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 3.7%, and the target is less than 8.0%. The daily, 7-day average of tests is 6,775. Three new deaths were reported on this date, bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths in San Diego County to 682. Those who died were all men in their 80s with underlying health conditions, health officials said.
Community Outbreaks: Two new outbreaks were confirmed on Aug. 29: one in a healthcare setting and one in a business setting. In the past seven days, 19 community outbreaks were confirmed. The number of community outbreaks remains above the county’s trigger of seven or more in seven days.
San Diego County public health officials announced that restaurants, places of worship, gyms, movie theaters, salons, and museums would be able to reopen Aug. 31, with capacity restrictions. Indoor dining rooms, for example, can open now at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
Aug. 29
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: Health officials reported 263 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 29 out of 6,796 tests for a 4% positive rate. The total cases were now at 28,047. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 3.7% (and the target was less than 8%). Three new COVID-19 deaths were reported bringing the total to 679. This time, officials said the deaths were two women in their mid-80s and one man in his early 80s, all with underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Six new outbreaks were identified on Aug. 28: one in a food processing setting and five in business settings. In the past seven days, 20 community outbreaks were identified.
Aug. 28
Big News: Based on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new, 4-tier, color-coded system for reopening counties across the state, San Diego County health officials announced a group of San Diego businesses would be able to reopen, with capacity restrictions, on Aug. 31. Places that would be able to reopen at 25% capacity (or with a maximum capacity of 100 people – whichever is fewer): Restaurants for dine-in service; places of worship; movie theaters; museums.
Meanwhile, indoor gyms and fitness centers would be allowed to reopen on Aug. 31 at 10% capacity. Barbershops and hair and nail salons would also be able to reopen, with modifications. Reopened businesses would still need to follow all COVID-related health rules including the use of face masks, social distancing, and sanitation protocols.
Here’s a look at Newsom’s blueprint for reopening California, as it looked on Aug. 28. San Diego County was the only county in Southern California in the red tier, rather than the purple.
The blueprint categorized counties in four color-coded tiers based on new reported coronavirus cases and the percentage of positive cases among test batches reported daily. Newsom said both the case rate and positive rate metrics would dictate whether a county could move to another tier. Counties can only move one tier at a time and there is a 21-day wait time between advancements.
As counties advance through the tiers, closures affecting some industries will be lifted and capacity restrictions on reopened entities will be reduced. Click here for more on the state's tier system.
County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher responded to the new reopening blueprint with concern, saying he believed the county's reopening approach should be more cautious.
"While there are some lower risk entities that could safely reopen at this point, what we are doing is very similar to what we did in June with a large segment of indoor operations all opening at the same time," Fletcher's response read, in part.
"This led to a large increase in cases and required new restrictions. At the same time, we are moving forward on these reopenings we are trying to give schools a chance to start again and have college students returning to campus. I believe our focus now should be on a narrow section of low-risk entities and doing everything we can to support our schools."
Read his full statement here.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County reported a 3.2% positivity rate among a batch of 8,821 tests. Three new COVID-19 deaths were reported bringing the region’s total to 676. The three people who died ranged in age from 60s to 90s, and all had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: the county identified 14 outbreaks in the last seven days. The number is double the county's threshold of seven in a week's time but this stat continued to trend downward.
Aug. 27
Case Rate: Metrics for San Diego County were reported at 80.6 cases per 100,000 residents. The trend remained steady to meet the county's target to be able to grant permission for K-12 schools to reopen on Sept. 1. Each individual district, however, will have the ultimate decision on when physical campuses will reopen. Most local school districts, including San Diego Unified School District, will start the school year with distance learning.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: The county reported 277 new cases were reported out of 5,235 tests, for a 5% positive rate. Five new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 673 on Aug. 27.
Community Outbreaks: Three new community outbreaks were reported, two reported in businesses, and one in a restaurant.
Aug. 26
Case Rate: San Diego County reported a case rate of 80.2 cases per 100,000 residents on Aug. 26. The county would need to remain below the 100/100K threshold until Aug. 31 for students K-12 to possibly return to classrooms on Sept. 1. However, the reopening of schools is a decision left up to local school districts.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: 228 new COVID-19 cases were reported, as well as a 3% positive rate. There were three new deaths reported. At this point, 668 San Diegans had lost their lives to the coronavirus.
While schools would likely be permitted to reopen on Sept. 1, San Diego County's superintendent of schools, Paul Gothold, detailed what would have to happen for those schools to close back down again.
"As it pertains to individual school sites and districts, the state has put forth a measurement of 5% of a classroom," Gothold said. "So if you're talking about pods of kids in small groups, this could just be one positive case -- either students or staff. That classroom would automatically shut down for 14 days. If you're talking about an individual school, 5% again is the metric, so if there are 5% positive cases identified in one school, the entire school needs to shut down for 14 days. When you're talking about a district, 25% of the schools that fall under this category would warrant closure of a district."
Aug. 25
Case Rate: Metrics for San Diego County held steady as the region awaited guidance from the state on what the next phase of reopenings could look like.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: Public health officials reported 267 new cases out of 5,534 tests reported, for a 5% positive rate. The 14-day rolling average was 3.6%, well below the 8% standard that would keep San Diego County off the state's monitoring list. There were five new COVID-related deaths reported during the county's Aug. 25 briefing, for a total of 665 since the pandemic reached our county.
At this point, San Diego County -- which was removed from California's COVID-19 watch list on Aug. 18 -- would need to keep its case rate below 100 cases per 100,000 people for six more days before schools would be given the green light to reopen. Other businesses were still awaiting guidance on full reopening plans; California Gov. Gavin Newsom was expected to unveil that guidance on Aug. 28.
Community Outbreaks: At 21 community outbreaks in seven days, this metric remained above the county's threshold of seven outbreaks in seven days. It remained the only metric "triggered" in San Diego County.
Aug. 24
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County public health officials reported 187 new COVID-19 cases among a batch of 7,351 reported tests. This date's positivity rate of 3% helped to lower the county's 14-day average to 3.5%, which is far below the county's goal of 8%. The county unveiled new coronavirus monitoring data that includes more detailed breakdowns by race, ethnicity, and geography.
Community Outbreaks: With 20 outbreaks identified by public health officials over the past seven days, this metric remained "triggered" over its threshold. Of the 222 outbreaks identified in community settings since March 25, 2020, health officials said 58 had been traced back to businesses, 55 traced back to restaurants/bars, and 28 traced back to health care settings.
Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said the county reserves the right to be stricter than the state when it comes to reopening and closures, meaning it can choose to rollback restrictions more deliberately than the state advises.
Chris Van Gorder, President and CEO of Scripps Health, cautioned against reopening to quickly and said the county instead needs to dial back restrictions slowly and deliberately to avoid another spike like the one brought on by the county's first attempt at reopening shuttered businesses back in June.
Aug. 23
Case Rate: The region's case rate was at 80.1 cases per 100,000 residents and, at this point, needed to remain below 100 cases for an additional eight days before schools grades K-12 could reopen.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County health officials reported 337 new COVID-19 cases out of 6,783 tests for a 5% positive rate. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 3.5%, well below the target of less than 8.0%. No new deaths were reported, keeping the total number of people who had died from the disease in San Diego County at 660.
Community Outbreaks: Three new outbreaks were confirmed: one was in a restaurant/bar and two were at businesses. In the past seven days, 17 community outbreaks were confirmed.
Aug. 22
Case Rate: The county reported a calculated case rate of 81.8 cases per 100,000.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: A total of 291 new cases were reported out of 8,824 tests, making for a 3% positive rate. Eight new COVID-19-related deaths were reported, increasing the death total to 660. Four men and four women died, ranging in age from mid-40s to mid-90s. They all had underlying medical conditions, public health officials said.
Community Outbreaks: No new outbreaks were reported on Aug. 22, however, in the past seven days, 17 community outbreaks had been confirmed.
The county updated its public health order, seen here:
Aug. 21
Case Rate: San Diego's reported case rate remained below the 100/100K people threshold on Friday. The state's calculated case rate is 83.7, the case rate needs to stay below 100 for an additional 10 days before schools grades K-12 can reopen. No other businesses can reopen until the state provides further guidance.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: A total of 304 new COVID-19 cases were reported out of 6,567 tests, for a 5% positive rate. Eight new deaths were reported bringing the total to 652. Two women and six men died. Their ages ranged from the early 50s to the late 80s. Seven had underlying medical conditions, it is still unknown if the remaining individual had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Seven new outbreaks were reported on Aug. 20. Two of those outbreaks were in restaurants/bars, two in businesses, and one each in a healthcare setting, grocery setting, and a faith-based organization. In the past seven days, 19 community outbreaks were confirmed. The number of community outbreaks remains above the trigger o seven or more in seven days.
Aug. 20
Case Rate: For the third consecutive day after getting off the state's watch list, the county's reported case rate remained below the 100/100K threshold. Health officials said that number was 83.8 per 100,000 residents.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported 232 new cases out of 9,865 tests for a 2% positive rate. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 4.0%; the target is less than 8.0%. The total number of cases was now at 35,608. Sadly, the region reported six new deaths attributed to the deadly virus. Since the pandemic hit the county in March, 644 people had died.
Community Outbreaks: San Diego remains well above the state's trigger metric of seven community outbreaks in seven days, with three new outbreaks confirmed on Aug. 19 and 16 confirmed in the past week.
Aug. 19
Case Rate: San Diego kept its reported case rate (COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people) below the state's limit of 100 for the second straight day. If the rate stays below 100 for 14 consecutive days, schools can reopen.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: Health officials reported 214 new COVID-19 tests Wednesday out of a batch of 6,781 tests, which is a 3% positive rate. Total COVID-19 cases had jumped to 35,376, while five new deaths brought the county's death tally to 638.
Community Outbreaks: Community outbreaks remained the only county metric that is above its threshold, but it was trending down. On Aug. 19, the county reported 15 confirmed community outbreaks in the past seven days. For comparison, the county was seeing 30+ outbreaks at the beginning of August.
In July, California allowed some schools and districts to apply for waivers for reopening in-person instruction at K-6 schools before their respective counties were removed from the state watch list and satisfied the 14-day case rate period. At this point, the county announced waivers for seven local schools had been approved.
Aug. 18
Case Rate: The case rate was 88.4 cases per 100,000 people. San Diego County was removed from the state's COVID-19 monitoring list after successfully bringing the case rate down to below 100 cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days.
If San Diego County remained off the watchlist for 14 consecutive days, schools would be able to reopen in-person education as soon as Sept. 1. County public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said further guidance would need to come from the state, and each school district would have the final say in when to reopen physical campuses.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer signed an executive order allowing gyms and places of worship to operate in city parks.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: 202 new cases were reported out of 5,584 tests reported to the county for a 4% positive rate. Seven new COVID-19 deaths were reported bringing the total to 633. Two women and five men died; their ages ranged from the early 60s to the early 90s and all had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: No new outbreaks were reported on Aug. 17. In the past seven days, 15 community outbreaks were confirmed.
Aug. 17
County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten noted that San Diego was on "Day 200 in our journey through the pandemic." She also reminded local residents that if the county was able to stay off the state monitoring list for 14 consecutive days, then K-12 schools could reopen the following day. This would mean that, theoretically, local schools could reopen as soon as Sept. 1.
[We're on] Day 200 in our journey through the pandemic.
Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County Public Health Officer
Speaking of schools, San Diego City, Mesa and Miramar community colleges began their school year on this day. Though the majority of classes are being held online, in-person learning is available for several classes that require labs and other hands-on instruction.
Community Outbreaks: There were 21 community outbreaks reported in the last week at this point involving 96 COVID-19 cases. This outbreaks metric was the only trigger activated in San Diego County.
Wooten said that there were 122 active outbreaks around the county, with 34 of those in skilled nursing facilities, where 783 residents and 513 staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.
Aug. 16
Case Rate: County health officials reported a state-calculated case rate of 91.9, and below 100, for a fifth consecutive day. However, California state officials had not removed the county from its monitoring list just yet.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County health officials reported 334 new cases out of 7,047 tests for a 5% positive rate. The total number of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County as of this date was 34,678. No new deaths were confirmed during this day's report. The death toll remained at 626.
Community Outbreaks: Three new community outbreaks were confirmed: one in a restaurant, a second in a business setting, and the last in a restaurant/bar setting. From this day on, 24 community outbreaks were confirmed in the past seven days, keeping San Diego County's number above the trigger of seven or more in a week.
First Half of August 2020
Aug. 15
Case Rate: On this day, county officials reported a state-calculated case rate of 94.7, marking the fourth straight day that San Diego County remained below 100.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County leaders announced 279 new cases of the coronavirus were reported this day. A total of 11,268 tests were taken, for a 2% positive rate. Four new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 626 deaths related to the virus. One woman and three men died, their ages ranged from the late 50s to the late 80s. All had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: On this day, two new community outbreaks were confirmed: one in a distribution warehouse and the other in a healthcare setting. The number of community outbreaks continued to be above the trigger of seven or more in seven days since 25 were reported in the last week.
Aug. 14
Case Rate: For the third straight day, San Diego County reported a state-calculated case rate below 100, at 96.3 cases per 100,000 residents. This meant San Diego County could drop off the state's watch list. The county would officially be dropped from the list on Aug. 18.
On this day, the county also began to accept waiver applications for schools K-6 to reopen in-person instruction. Those applications would need to be approved by the state.
When the county dropped off the watch list, however, a new 14-day case rate countdown would begin and if the county could keep its case rate below 100 for those 14 days, then all K-12 schools could begin reopening physical campuses on Sept. 1.
Case Numbers, Rate, Deaths: A total of 406 new COVID-19 cases among a batch of 9,508 reported tests were reported, making the positivity rate 4.3%. Seven new deaths were reported, for a total of 622 coronavirus-related deaths in the county. These seven new deaths included four women and three men between 49 and 94 years old. All but one had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Four new outbreaks were reported; this brought the 7-day rolling total to 24, which was more than three times the county's trigger threshold. Two of the latest outbreaks were confirmed at businesses; one was identified at a restaurant/bar, and the last was at a food processing site.
Aug. 13
Case Rate: Continuing on a positive trend, the region's state-calculated case rate was reported as 98.3. The county looked forward to satisfying the metric of 100 cases per 100,000 people set by the state in order to be removed from California's coronavirus monitoring list.
After the three consecutive days below the 100 case rate, an additional 14 consecutive days would be needed to pass with the case count below 100 for schools “K-12 at their own discretion, consistent with the state guidance and posting the safe reopening plan, will be able to open," Supervisor Nathan Fletcher explained.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported 266 new COVID-19 cases this day and seven additional deaths. The new total number of local cases on this day stood at 33,659 while the death toll grew to 615.
Community Outbreaks: Only one community outbreak was reported this day, with the total in the past days being at 22.
To provide more testing to the South Bay, which has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, a testing site was opened at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
There, people entering and leaving the U.S. from Mexico could get tested for free at the walk-in site. Only the cases of U.S. residents testing positive there would be reported to the officials; Mexico residents who test positive would be reported to Mexico.
Aug. 12
Case Rate: For the first time since San Diego County was placed on California's watch list, the region's state-calculated case rate satisfied the metric set by the state of 100 cases per 100,000 people. On this day, the state-calculated rate was 94.1. The county was placed on the state's monitoring list on July 3 and this new data provided hope of a positive trend.
San Diego County would need to report a case rate of 100 or below for three days to get off the state monitoring list. It would also need to maintain a rate of 100 cases or below for an additional 14 days before all K-12 schools could reopen.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: At this time, San Diego County public health officials reported 236 new COVID-19 cases out of 7,339 tests reported, or a 3% positive rate. The county's total COVID-19 cases were 33,393. Another six people died in connection to the virus, bringing the region's total of COVID-19 deaths to 608. Five women and one man died; their ages ranged from 66 to 96 years old and all had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Two new outbreaks were confirmed on Aug. 11: one in a grocery store setting and a manufacturing setting. In the past seven days, 26 community outbreaks were confirmed.
Aug. 11
Case Rate: Of the county's metrics that are being monitored to track our progress or lack thereof, only two were still activated. The first was the trigger for case rate -- which was dropping but still above the goal of fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period. The second was the number of community outbreaks (more on that below).
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: On this day, public health officials reported 182 new positive cases of COVID-19, the first time new cases were below 200 since June 22. Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said it was a promising trend that, if maintained, could help get San Diego County off the state's monitoring list.
Community Outbreaks: San Diego County reported six new community outbreaks, bringing the total number of outbreaks to 29 in the last seven days.
The county struggled to get businesses and residents to comply with public health orders meant to contain the spread of COVID-19. Local leaders announced they were working with local law enforcement agencies on enforcement.
Aug. 10
Case Rate: The county reported a 14-day average case rate (the number of cases per 100,000 county residents) of 105.4, barely above the state's limit of 100. The county's rate has been trending downward since late July, and Dr. Wooten said last week that the region's case rate could fall under the state's mark as early as this week.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported a 3% positivity rate as 228 new positive cases came from 7,570 reported tests. The county's 14-day average positivity rate fell to 5% and its 7-day daily testing average is just above 8,000 tests. No new COVID-19 deaths were reported, leaving the region’s total at 594. The county remained on the state watch list for its inability to curtail community outbreaks and community transmission.
Community Outbreaks: Five new COVID-19 outbreaks were reported by the county: one each in a restaurant, a restaurant/bar, a business, a grocery store, and a government setting. In the past seven days, 24 community outbreaks had been identified.
Aug. 9.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: The county reported 417 new positive COVID-19 cases out of 6,236 tests, for a 7% positive rate. The new total number of cases in San Diego County was at 32,747 as of Aug. 9. Out of the number of cases, 2,745 or 8.4% required hospitalization and 687 or 2.1% were admitted into an intensive care unit. One new death was reported in connection to the virus: a man in his 60s who had underlying conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Four new outbreaks were identified in the county -- all at business settings. The number of community outbreaks remains above the trigger of seven or more in seven days, with the county having 24 outbreaks in the past week.
Aug. 8
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported a total of 551 new cases out of 9,472 tests, for a 6% positive rate. The total amount of cases tallied was 32,330. Out of the total amount of cases, 2,730 or 8.4% of cases have required hospitalizations, 682 or 2.1% of all cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Seven new deaths were reported bringing the total to 593. Four men and three women died, ranging in age from 49 to 90; all had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Two new outbreaks were identified on Aug. 7. One was reported in a business and another in a government facility. In the past seven days, 20 community outbreaks were identified. The number of community outbreaks remained above the trigger of seven or more in seven days.
Aug. 7
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: Health officials reported 652 new COVID-19 cases out of 11,501 tests reported to the county on Aug. 6. The total amount of cases was now at 31,779. Three people died of COVID-19 bringing the region's total to 586. One woman and two men died, their ages ranged from 60 to 77 years of age; All had underlying health conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Two new outbreaks were reported on Aug. 6. One at a business and one at a restaurant. In the past seven days, 20 community outbreaks were identified.
Aug. 6
Case Rate: The county's 14-day average case rate (the number of cases per 100,000 county residents) jumped from 105.7 to 112.4 after more than seven consecutive days in decline. However, the county's rate had been trending downward since late July, and Dr. Wooten said it could fall under the state's mark of 100 as early as the following week.
So far, 2,681 or 8.6% of the county's 31,127 total positive cases since the pandemic reached San Diego had required hospitalization, and 674 or 2.2% of all cases (25.1% of hospitalized cases) were admitted to an intensive care unit.
Community Outbreaks: Six new community outbreaks were reported: one in a preschool, two in business settings, two in health care settings, and one in a restaurant. Outbreaks reported in the last seven days rose to 31, far above the state's threshold of seven in seven days. The county had yet to report a 7-day outbreak total below 30 in the month of August, thus far.
Aug. 5
County public health officials announced continued progress toward normalizing coronavirus case metrics that have landed the county on the state's watch list and forced state and county leaders to reintroduce public and commercial restrictions.
Tracing: The county said was performing case investigations at a rate the state considered safe. The state wanted to see counties notify close contacts of COVID-19 patients within 24 hours 70% of the time or more, as an average over the last seven days. The county's close contact investigation rate was reported at 73% and the county has a goal of achieving a 90% rate, which Dr. Wilma Wooten expected would be reached by the following week. That would leave just two abnormal triggers: case rate and community outbreaks.
Community Outbreaks: Thirty community outbreaks had been identified over the last seven days, more than four times the threshold set by the state of seven in a week's time. Five new outbreaks were reported Aug. 5 and were traced back to two businesses, a preschool, a restaurant or bar, and a faith-based organization. The 30 outbreaks represented 122 COVID-19 cases.
Case Rate: The county reported a 14-day average case rate (positives per 100,000 people) of 105.7, falling closer to the 100 rate established by the state. The county's case rate has been on its way down since late July, and Dr. Wooten said it could fall under the state's mark as early as next week.
County supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a plan to allow gyms, places of worship, and other entities to use county parks to offer services outdoors. The plan also waived fees associated with obtaining permits to reserve park space and streamlined the application process.
Aug. 4
Case Rate: The county's case rate continues to trend downward, but is still above the state's threshold.
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported 290 new coronavirus cases out of 4,168 reported tests for a 6.9% positivity rate. The number of tests reported on Aug. 4 was the lowest figure in more than a month and more than 2,500 fewer than the county's goal of 6,740 per day. The county's case total stood at 30,516. Three new deaths were reported, bringing that toll to 568. The most recent reported deaths included three men between 63 and 97 years old, all of whom had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: The county had identified 32 community outbreaks in the last seven days, far exceeding its seven outbreaks in seven days trigger. Outbreaks is one of three abnormal case metrics that have landed the county on the state's watch list.
Tracing: Contact tracing was the third abnormal metric keeping the county on the state's watch list. San Diego's goal was to maintain a 7-day average of close contact tracing within 24 hours to 90%. The county's rate as of Tuesday was 87%.
Aug. 3
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten reported 343 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 3, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 30,226. No new deaths were reported, so that number stood at 565. Of those deaths, 539 people had underlying health conditions.
At this point, Hispanics and/or Latinos represented 1,480 of the 2,599 people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in San Diego County, or 61% of hospitalizations, according to Wooten. Patients age 50+ represented 71% of those who had been hospitalized.
Community Outbreaks: 130 outbreaks were active, and 36 were in local skilled nursing facilities. Dr. Wilma Wooten said the outbreaks at skilled nursing facilities had impacted 721 residents and 461 staff members, and 143 deaths had been reported in those outbreaks. Meanwhile, 37 of the active outbreaks were in non-skilled facilities, impacting 680 residents and 477 staff. There had been 91 deaths in these outbreaks. And, in community settings, there had been 1,152 COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths, Wooten said.
Also on Aug. 3, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office announced charges against a local business owner for the first time for violating the county's health order. The Ramona gym owner defiantly operated at least five times and was warned that he could face charges, the DA's office said.
Aug. 2
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported 306 new COVID-19 cases out of 5,655 tests, for a 5% positive rate. The total number of cases was 29,883. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases was 5.3%. The target set by the state is led than 8%. The 7-day daily average of tests is 7,443. No COVID-19 deaths were reported; the region's total COVID-related deaths remained at 565.
Community Outbreaks: No new outbreaks were identified on Aug. 1. In the past seven days, 37 community outbreaks were confirmed. The number of community outbreaks continued to be more than the trigger of seven in seven days.
Aug. 1
Case Numbers, Positive Rate, Deaths: County health officials reported 529 new COVID-19 cases out of 9,161 reported tests, with a 6% positive rate. Total COVID-19 cases had now risen to 29,577. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases was 5.4%. The target set by the state was less than 8.0%. Out of the total COVID-19 cases, 2,551 or 8.6% have required hospitalization, and 25.5% of those hospitalized had to be admitted to the intensive care unit. Four new deaths were reported bringing the total to 565. The four people who died were all men, ranging in age from 55 to 82, and all had underlying medical conditions.
Community Outbreaks: Three new outbreaks were identified on July 31: one was reported at a restaurant/bar, one in a gym and one in a government setting. In the past seven days, 40 community outbreaks were identified. The number of community outbreaks continues to be more than five times above the trigger of seven or more in seven days.
The Coronavirus Pandemic in San Diego County, Month by Month
For a look back at what happened in San Diego County in July 2020 during the pandemic, click here.
To read about what happened in June 2020 in San Diego County during the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
To read what happened in May 2020, a month that county leaders called a month of "adaptation" for San Diego County in the fight against the novel coronavirus, click here.
To read what happened in April 2020, a month that county leaders called "critical" for flattening the curve, click here.
To look back at what happened in March 2020 in San Diego County during the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Mid-March 2020: The Coronavirus Pandemic Reaches San Diego County
A lot happened in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic reached San Diego County and COVID-19 cases surged.
This included quarantine operations at a 151-room Ramada hotel in Kearny Mesa that was chosen to house quarantined patients held at MCAS Miramar (March 18).
More than 480 passengers from a coronavirus-ridden cruise ship that docked at the Port of Oakland were flown to MCAS Miramar March 10 to March 12 to complete a mandatory 14-day federal quarantine. On March 27, Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director with the County Epidemiology Immunization Branch said all but three of the passengers had returned home after 14-days of quarantine, including those who had been at the Ramada Hotel.
Training Support Command at Naval Base San Diego was temporarily closed on March 14 due to three Sailors testing positive for COVID-19.
Coronavirus Pandemic
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the stay-at-home order and, soon, the springtime shutdown across San Diego County began.
Schools Shut Down
On March 13, San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten shut down the second-largest school district in California. All other school districts in San Diego County followed suit. San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy closed all schools within the San Diego Catholic Diocese, too.
We later learned schools across the state would be closed for the remainder of the academic year.
Local colleges and universities also canceled classes and events and moved their operations online. This included: UC San Diego; San Diego State University; California State University San Marcos; Point Loma Nazarene University; University of San Diego; San Diego Community College District; Southwestern College; Palomar College; Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.
Landmarks Shutter, Events Canceled
San Diego’s biggest tourist attractions, landmarks and events closed or were canceled. Local casinos followed, as well as gyms and fitness centers.
Church Services Canceled
As gatherings were banned, all daily and Sunday masses in the San Diego Catholic Diocese were canceled. Rock Church San Diego services were also canceled and moved to streaming online.
Beaches & Parks Closed
On March 23, San Diego’s beaches, parks, boardwalks, and other open spaces across the county were ordered to close to restrict gatherings over 10 people prohibited by state and local laws.
Restaurant Dinings Rooms & Bars Close
Bars and restaurant dining rooms were ordered to close in March, too. Shopping malls closed. Some retailers – like clothing stores Urban Outfitters and Brandy Melville USA – temporarily closed their stores, and more would follow.
Sports, On Hold
Sports agencies – both college-level and professional – suspended their games and seasons. MLB’s Opening Day – including the San Diego Padres big Home Opener at Petco Park – were scrapped, but in June, the MLB made plans to return to the field, without fans. The 2020 MLB season will return in late July.
Text "COSD COVID19" to 468311 to receive updates and alerts from the county. Click here to find different ways to help your community during the pandemic.
San Diego County would like to remind everyone if you or someone you care about is experiencing a suicidal or mental health crisis, please call the Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240.
Pitching in During the Pandemic: Stories of San Diegans Doing Good: Read more stories about San Diegans finding creative ways to lend support. Have you heard about a story we should share? Let us know
