A record number of COVID-19 cases were reported in the past three days resulting in California officials notifying San Diego County it will be placed on the state's Monitoring List starting today, July 3. This is expected to result in the County closing or placing new restrictions on additional indoor business activities next week, including restricting any indoor dine-in service at restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, as well as closing other businesses starting on July 8.
In the past three days, the rate of COVID-19 cases in the region went up from 103.8 to 112.8, surpassing the state’s threshold of no more than 100 cases per every 100,000 residents. Given the continuing high number of daily cases, it is expected that the County will be on the state’s watchlist for the next three days and would be forced to mandate more restrictive measures and additional closings based on guidance from the state. Businesses on the state's list should prepare to close or modify their operations since new restrictions could be effective as early as July 7 and would last for at least three weeks. We have received information from a reliable source that San Diego County has already prepared the order to go into effect on July 8 at 12:01am and that it will be in effect indefinitely although the county can review it every 30 days. Patios, take out, drive through and delivery at restaurants will still will be allowed.
Under the current restrictions, indoor activities would be restricted on many businesses, including dine-in restaurants (outdoor, pick up or drive-through can occur), wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers card rooms, museums and zoos. As residents prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, the county urges people to do it safely by not gathering in groups and staying with people in their own household.
The County is monitoring 13 measures, or triggers, that could prompt revisions to the health order -
10 new outbreaks were reported July 2, eight in restaurants/bars, and one in a grocery and one in a business. In the past seven days, 22 community outbreaks were identified which represent 100 laboratory-confirmed cases. The number of community outbreaks far exceeds the seven in seven days trigger. A community outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households. The County also reached the Case Investigation trigger because only 67% of investigations were initiated within 24 hours of notification over a 7-day period. The percentage should be at least 71%.
A record 584 new cases were reported on July 2 in San Diego County for a total of 15,207. 1,821 or 12% of cases have required hospitalization. 497 or 3.3% of all cases and 27.3% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Five new COVID-19 deaths were reported for a regional total of 377.
