Stanislaus County is short on answers for COVID surge. Vaccine expected next month.
As COVID-19 cases shoot higher, Stanislaus County leaders don’t have many answers for bringing the surge under control.
But local health officials are scrambling to prepare for a mid-December arrival of coronavirus vaccine for front line health workers. Vaccinations for the general public are roughly estimated to start in March or April if two drug makers can get necessary approvals.
County authorities are also working to contain outbreaks such as coronavirus cases among inmates and staff at the county jail.
The county reported 288 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, up from the 226 posted on the county’s dashboard Sunday. Those are the kinds of numbers seen during a surge of coronavirus illness that shook the county in July and August.
Hospitalization of COVID-positive patients has risen to 152, compared to 58 patients only two weeks ago.
“The hospitalizations are not good news,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county health officer, who updated county supervisors Tuesday.
Vaishampayan noted that when new cases peaked at 409 on July 7, local hospitals were packed with 233 COVID-positive patients two weeks later. Health experts believe 12 percent of new cases result in hospitalization two to three weeks later.
As of Monday, hospitals are caring for 25 coronavirus patients in intensive care units, compared to a peak of 64 ICU patients in August.
County officials have released sketchy information about what is driving the surge, other than colder weather forcing people indoors and creating conditions that make the virus more contagious. Vaishampayan said the virus survives longer in colder temperatures.
The county’s Latino population was disproportionately stricken by the coronavirus earlier in the pandemic, but the disparity has evened out, with higher case numbers now reported among Asian and white residents, local health officials said.
Mary Ann Lilly, director of the county Health Services Agency, said the county has stronger case investigation and contact tracing for this surge. The county’s contact tracing staff in the emergency operation center is assisted by more than 40 state employees working remotely.
The state and county testing sites are not able to schedule same-day appointments — it’s taking two or three days now, Lilly said. But labs are still providing a 48-hour turnaround for results. The county is applying for state resources for additional pop-up testing and increased testing capacity.
Vaishampayan said the Pfizer vaccine may be available for hospital workers and medical first responders starting the second week in December. She said she wasn’t sure if the required type of freezer, capable of storing the vaccine at minus 100 degrees, exists in Stanislaus County.
The vaccine doses will be shipped in boxes with dry ice; county staff will keep exploring storage options.
Other groups with priority for vaccine, when it’s available, include people with underlying health conditions putting them at high risk, older adults in congregate living arrangements, school teachers and critical workers in high-risk settings.
Vaishampayan said she was confident local medical centers will get their fair share of vaccination doses. Board of Supervisors chairwoman Kristin Olsen was not that confident, citing a history of Central Valley counties being overlooked by Sacramento.
A state agency enforces curfew
Faced with a resurgence in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials tightened up restrictions in 90 percent of the state last week and established a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew to break up social activities where the virus easily spreads.
Stanislaus County’s top law enforcement officials promptly said enforcing the curfew was not a priority for their agencies.
Agents with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control did enforce the curfew in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties over the weekend by making visits to restaurants licensed to serve beer and wine. No citations were issued, said ABC Spokesman John Carr.
The ABC made more than 2,200 site visits in 17 counties.
“Compliance was very high throughout the state,” Carr said in an email. “The department prefers education over enforcement when making site visits to thousands of ABC licensed premises.”
The state has also intended the 10 p.m. curfew to prevent disease spread at social gatherings.
The county has said the fall surge is “across the board” and has continued a policy of not identifying businesses or workplaces where people are getting sick.
Outbreak in Stanislaus County jail
The Stanislaus Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday an outbreak among inmates in a housing area of the county jail. Thus far, 25 inmates have tested positive, as well as eight staff members, authorities said.
“What we have done is all of the staff that was exposed to those inmates have been tested and are being quarantined,” Sgt. Tom Letras said. “The inmates in these units are not being moved around.”
A worker at Bronco Winery in Ceres has been in self quarantine since being exposed to a supervisor who tested positive, the employee said.
Lines were shut down in the winery’s bottling facility for cleaning and disinfecting earlier this month, the employee said. But employees are due back to work in that facility Nov. 30.
The winery has not returned calls from The Bee regarding any coronavirus cases.
“They let everyone work in every other department,” said the employee, who asked to be anonymous out of fear of getting fired. “I will go back on the 30th. I know it is not going to be safe.”
The county leaders watch the case numbers rise with the approach of Thanksgiving Day and other holidays known for people gathering in close quarters.
Vaishampayan urged county residents to hold smaller and shorter family gatherings for Thanksgiving and consider holding holiday get-togethers outdoors if possible.
“Our hospitals are filling up and we need to make sure everyone is around to share Thanksgiving with us in the future,” she said.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 1:54 PM.
