As the Delta variant increases COVID-19 cases, will Stanislaus County require masks?
As the Delta variant drives an increase of COVID-19 infections in different parts of California, some counties again are recommending that everyone wears a mask in indoor settings. Thus far, Stanislaus County health officials have not issued new recommendations.
The rise in transmission is occurring only a month after California’s reopening and mask requirements were loosened at businesses, sports stadiums and public events.
Counties such as Sacramento are reporting a drastic rise in cases and recommending masks for vaccinated people in indoor settings. Los Angeles County imposed a mandatory mask requirement effective Saturday.
The authorized coronavirus vaccines are considered effective against the highly infectious Delta variant to prevent serious illness but partially vaccinated people are believed to be vulnerable. Health experts say the variant can easily spread among unvaccinated people, as it did in India.
The state’s own recommendations, excusing vaccinated people from mask-wearing in most settings, remain in effect. The state expects unvaccinated people leaving home to wear a mask while indoors and in crowded situations outdoors.
Kamlesh Kaur, a public health spokesperson for Stanislaus County, said the county’s caseload is holding steady and there are no updated recommendations.
“This week we may start going up a little, as we see the effect of Fourth of July gatherings,” Kaur said. “We are not seeing a huge amount of community spread.”
The county is still in line with the California Department Public Health guidance for mask wearing and distancing, Kaur said. “If something changes at the state level we will be sure to educate the community.”
Numbers rising in Stanislaus County
The county Health Services Agency tallied 62 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 71 cases Thursday, numbers that are elevated from previous weeks and could cause alarm if they keep increasing. The county’s test positivity rate was 2.4 percent this week.
Hospitalizations remained low in the county. About 40 patients in local hospitals were confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 infection, including nine in intensive care units.
Statewide, the 3,622 new cases reported Tuesday were 2 1/2 times the daily counts recorded last month. California’s test positivity rate has risen from 1 percent or less in June to 3 percent this week.
Stanislaus County has followed the state’s “Beyond the Blueprint” recommendations since the June 15 reopening. Masks are not required for vaccinated residents except on transit buses, at K-12 schools, hospitals and childcare centers.
In addition to the mask and social distancing requirements in place for most of the pandemic, the California Department of Public Health eliminated capacity limits for businesses and ended travel advisories.
Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county public health officer, is on record predicting another surge of coronavirus illness for the Golden State.
The Delta variant has fast become the dominant COVID strain in the United States, accounting for almost 60 percent of new COVID-19 cases. That’s a tidal wave after the variant was detected in a small percentage of cases about six weeks ago.
Genomic sequencing tests have confirmed 12 Delta cases in Stanislaus County, but health officials haven’t received any updated numbers from outside labs that identify variants of concern. Actual cases are likely higher because only some test samples are selected for variant testing, health experts say.
The county’s food processing and agricultural operations have been in full swing while the coronavirus case numbers remained stable in recent weeks.
At this time last year, the county could not keep track of the explosion of coronavirus cases and hospital floors were filled with COVID-19 patients.
Safety measures across California
Kaur said this week that a lot more business operations and worksites have implemented safety measures and Cal-OSHA guidelines for protecting workers. In addition, many employees and county residents have been vaccinated.
As of Wednesday, 210,539 county residents were fully vaccinated out of a population of 557,000, according to state data. Anyone age 12 and older is eligible for the vaccine.
The county maintains a vaccination program with mobile and one-day community clinics targeted to extend access to certain age groups or hard-to-reach individuals.
Health officials believe a large number of residents in Stanislaus are vulnerable to the Delta variant because they skipped getting the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The county has tracked the number of individuals who remain partially vaccinated well beyond their first shot; the number stood at 48,000 this week.
Kaur said some have not completed the two-step process because they experienced the normal body aches after the first dose and have a false notion the two-step process must be restarted again if more than six weeks have elapsed. Kaur said those people can get a second shot to strengthen their immunity.
The county’s Public Health Immunization Clinic, at 401 Paradise Road, Suite E, is open Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walkins or appointments and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dates and times for COVID vaccine clinics are found at www.schsa.org.
People can get appointments online at the state MyTurn program.
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 4:58 PM.
