Borrego Sun - Since 1949

We are continuing the long fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and it seems there is no end. Back-and-forth businesses go, to open or to not open, and for most, “When can I go back to work?” or “Is it safe yet?” While the answers to these questions are up in the air, we can only do our best to get through these hardships one day at a time.

The number of cases in California continue to rise with over 766,000 cases with the death toll over 14,400. Many counties are fighting hard to stay open and are trying to readjust to guidelines, making sure everyone is safe.

San Diego County has 42,887 cases and 734 deaths reported, and is currently in the red tier.

As of Sept. 14, the county continues to be a thin line of falling backwards into Tier 1 (purple/widespread), in which most of the state is currently in, as the number of cases continue to rise. The county has a seven-day case rate average of 6.9 and a seven-day testing positivity average of 4.2%. This puts the county very close in crossing the purple tier territory. In the event of going back to purple, the county would have to be above the case rate for two straight days. To upgrade to the orange tier, the county would need to get down to a case rate of 1.0 and 3.9 to downgrade to the orange tier.

The United States has 6.57 million cases and the death toll has risen close to 200,000 with over 194,000, as of Sept. 14, 4 p.m.

With everything going on in the world, we can only hope that change will come soon.

September 14:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 42,887. Deaths: 734.

- The state will assess counties on a weekly basis, with the next report scheduled for Sept. 15, which is after print of this issue. This will also determine what tier of reopening we will fall under.

September 13:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 42,679. Deaths: 734.

September 12:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 42,414. Deaths: 734.

September 11:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 41,969. Deaths: 730.

- No new community outbreaks reported, but the 17 identified over the last week are still well outside of the county’s threshold of seven in seven days.

September 10:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 41,608. Deaths: 725.

September 9:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 41,324. Deaths: 721.

- Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County Public Health Officer, said there has been a drastic decrease in cases since public restrictions were reintroduced in mid-July. However, a slight increase has been seen over the first two weeks of August.

- Health officials said the number of deaths was higher because of the delay in death reports over Labor Day weekend.

- Dr. Wooten said the county is going to wait on CDC guidance, and will codify some sort of plan/guidance by the end of this month in regards to trick-or-treating for Halloween. Los Angeles County first announced they were banning it, then walked that order back.

- San Diego County remains in Tier 2.

- The county’s case rate is 0.1% away from falling backward into Tier 1 (purple/widespread). If this happens and is on there for two weeks, the county will move back into Tier 1, and more public and commercial restrictions will be enforced, according to Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.

September 8:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 41,077. Deaths: 709.

September 7:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: Not provided due to Labor Day.

September 6:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 40,650. Deaths: 707.

September 5:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 40,342. Deaths: 704.

September 4:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 39,899. Deaths: 701.

September 3:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 39,446. Deaths: 700.

September 2:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 39,121. Deaths: 695.

- San Diego County District 4 Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said if case counts go up, county could be ordered to close businesses again that were just allowed to reopen indoors. This is amid the Labor Day weekend approaching. All were reminded that the virus does not take a day off.

September 1:

- Confirmed County COVID-19 numbers: 38,871. Deaths: 688.

- San Diego County needs to fall below 3.9% (case rate) and 4.9% (positivity rate) for 14 straight days before the county can advance to Tier 3 (orange/moderate).

- Most of the state is currently in the Tier 1 (purple/widespread). To advance to the next tier, a county must also meet health equity measures.

- Framework Rules:

- CDPH will assess indicators weekly.

- A county will remain in a tier for a minimum of three weeks before being able to advance to a later tier.

- A county can only move forward one tier at a time, even if metrics qualify for a more advanced tier.

- If a county’s adjusted case rate for tier assignment and test positivity measure fall into two different tiers, the county will be assigned to the more restrictive tier.

- City local health jurisdiction (LHJ) data will be included in overall metrics, and city LHJs will be assigned the same tier as the surrounding county.

- An LHJ may continue to implement or maintain more restrictive public health measures if the local health officer determines that health conditions in that jurisdiction warrant such measures.

To advance:

- A county must have been in the current tier for a minimum of three weeks, except as described in the “Initial step applied on August 28, 2020” section above.

- A county must meet criteria for the next tier for both measures for the prior two consecutive weeks in order to progress to the next tier.

- In addition, the state will establish health equity measures on activities such as data collection, testing access, contact tracing, supportive isolation, and outreach that demonstrate a county’s ability to address the most impacted communities within a county. Additional measures addressing health outcomes such as case rates, hospitalizations and deaths, will also be developed and tracked for improvement.

- Every business in the following sectors listed in the Activities and Business Tiers shall require all customers who receive services indoors or use indoor facilities to sign in with their name and telephone number:

1. Hair Salons & Barbershops

2. Personal Care Services

3. Gyms & Fitness Centers

4. Restaurants, Wineries, Bars, Breweries, and Distilleries (where meal is provided) as required.

* Number of COVID-19 Cases in San Diego County, sandiegocounty.gov.

* Please note: Information/statistics stated in this article are as of print time, Sept. 14 4 p.m.