Coronavirus update: California test positivity rate down to 3.4%; other numbers decline, too

The number of new coronavirus cases, the test positivity rate and hospitalizations and intensive care unit cases continued to fall on Monday across the state. The number of deaths was down, as well, though several counties had not updated data on the Presidents Day holiday and some test results could be delayed.

The California Department of Public Health reported 6,487 new COVID-19 cases. That is well under the 7-day and 14-day averages of 8,585 and 10,547 cases and a significant drop from peak numbers from early to middle January – on Jan. 8, when numbers started to decline, the CDPH reported 52,636 new positive cases.

The 7- and 14-day test positivity rates in the state are down to 3.7% and 4.3%.

The CDPH reported on Monday there were 8,693 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and 2,552 in ICUs. On that same Jan. 8, there were 21,754 coronavirus patients in hospitals with 4,854 in ICUs.

There also were 200 reported new deaths, less than half the 7-day and 14-day averages of 413 and 438. The number of coronaviorus-related deaths had not reached a peak – that would come later in January – but on Jan. 8 there were 708 deaths reported.

While those numbers continue to trend in the right direction, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines continue to be an issue as Blue Shield started on Monday as the state’s third-party administrator for vaccine distribution and as state and federal officials prepare to open mass vaccination sites on Tuesday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and Cal State Los Angeles.

In San Francisco, a mass vaccination site at the Moscone Convention Center has been temporarily closed due to a lack of supply. A vaccination site at City College of San Francisco also is shutting down until Friday, when it will reopen only for second doses of vaccine.

“I’m frustrated because we’ve shown that SF can administer shots as soon as they come in,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said on social media. “City College has been running well for weeks. The reports from Moscone are overwhelmingly positive. The only thing holding us back is a lack of supply, and I’m hoping that will change soon.”

Los Angeles also had to close a mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium and other sites after receiving only 16,000 doses of vaccine last week.

According to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker, 6.2 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccine have been administered across the state, but only 11.4% of the population has received at least one shot and 3.3% are fully vaccinated.

CDPH updates from the Central Valley

Most central San Joaquin Valley counties did not update their coronavirus data on Monday. The most recent data from Fresno County public health officials from Feb. 13 included 352 new cases and a total of 92,520 with a one-day test positivity rate of 10.3%. There were no new deaths, and a total of 1,291.

Here are the most recent updates from the CDPH and from Kings County public health officials. …

Kings County

• 37 new cases; 21,647 total
• 0 new deaths; 208 total

Madera County

• 36 new cases; 15,089 total
• 0 new deaths; 189 total

Mariposa County

• 0 new cases; 388 total
• 0 new deaths; 5 total

Merced County

• 60 new cases; 27,601 total
• 0 new deaths; 375 total

Tulare County

• 101 new cases; 46,263 total
• 0 new deaths; 691 total

WHO approves vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization on Monday approved two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Institute of India for emergency use.

The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) assessed the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply., according to a press release. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines.

“Countries with no access to vaccines to date will finally be able to start vaccinating their health workers and populations at risk, contributing to the COVAX Facility’s goal of equitable vaccine distribution,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products.

‘But we must keep up the pressure to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere and facilitate global access. To do that, we need two things – a scale-up of manufacturing capacity, and developers’ early submission of their vaccines for WHO review.”

The AstraZeneca vaccine is only the second the U.N. health agency has authorized, following the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December.

More on Blue Shield contract

California will pay Blue Shield up to $15 million for expenses as it helps accelerate coronavirus vaccinations across the state. California’s 55-page contract with Blue Shield sets the following goals for vaccine distribution:

• 95% of urban residents should have to travel no more than half an hour to reach a distribution site. That increases to an hour in rural areas.

• Vaccines should also be made available to people who can’t leave their homes in all 58 counties.

• Vaccine providers should administer 95% of vaccine doses within a week of receiving them.

• California should be able to distribute 3 million vaccines per week by March 1, and 4 million per week by April 30, assuming supply is available.

Expanding vaccination eligibility

The CDPH announced last week that it will be expanding the list of residents eligible to receive vaccinations by 4 million to 6 million next month by adding more groups at higher risk of infection and death.

According to a provider bulletin from the CDPH health care providers starting on March 15 may use clinical judgment to vaccinate individuals 16 to 64 who are at a higher risk from COVID-19 due to …

• Cancer, current with debilitated or immunocompromised state

• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above

• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent

• Down syndrome

• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant

• Pregnancy

• Sickle cell disease

• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)

• Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

Or, if as a result of a developmental or other severe high-risk disability one or more of the following applies …

• The individual is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection

• Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival

• Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability

The list of eligible conditions is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as CDPH obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.