California COVID-19 Updates for December 22

Press release from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH):

Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response. The most up to date data is available on the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.

Statewide COVID-19 Data

Rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are highest among unvaccinated individuals and lowest among boosted individuals. This is true for all age groups. See additional data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Vaccinations

• 86,729,967 total vaccines administered.
• 72.5% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series.
• 46,258 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

 

Cases

• California has 10,834,839 confirmed cases to date.
• Today’s average case count is 7,359 (average daily case count over 7 days).
• During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.2 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

 

Testing

• The testing positivity rate is 10.6% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

• There are 4,520 hospitalizations statewide.
• There are 522 ICU patients statewide.
• During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

• There have been 97,428 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
• COVID-19 claims the lives of 20 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).
• During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

 

ICU Capacity Data

With winter respiratory viruses – including flu, COVID-19, and RSV – circulating across the state, it is critical to ensure that Californians have access to the care they need in our hospitals. When hospitalizations increase, the state’s hospitalization Public Health Order governs health care system protocols and surge capacity.

Hospitals must notify local public health officials and the Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) when experiencing certain conditions. If necessary, these conditions trigger the state’s regional surge orders to help ensure continuation and availability of care.

Regional ICU capacity data and more information on the state’s Public Health Order is available on CDPH’s Regional ICU Capacity webpage.

Monitoring COVID-19 in Wastewater

As outlined in the SMARTER plan, the state monitors COVID-19 outbreaks and trends to help determine response efforts. One way of doing this is collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the virus that causes COVID-19, which helps determine virus spread within communities.

CDPH currently tracks wastewater in four main regions across the state. This week’s analysis shows a plateauing in the Bay Area, Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions. Concentrations in all regions are lower compared to the Omicron peak in January, 2022.

Wastewater data is just one part of the state’s disease surveillance system and must be considered along with other factors like test positivity (increasing) and hospitalizations (increasing), to better understand COVID-19 conditions. A map with additional data on the state’s Wastewater Surveillance Network is available here.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine prevents severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as they are eligible.

It is recommended that every individual six months of age and older receive their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster dose, if eligible.

Find a vaccine near you by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians six months of age and older.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, get tested immediately and talk to a health care provider right away if you test positive to learn if you qualify for treatment. You can also find Test to Treat locations that offer COVID-19 testing and free treatment. If you are uninsured, you can access testing and treatment services for free at OptumServe Test to Treat locations.

Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:

• Wear A Mask: California’s COVID-19 mask guidance aligns with CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. Know your community level to evaluate risk and inform your decision on when to mask. Local policies may go beyond state requirements based on local conditions. Masking is also recommended to protect yourselves and your loved ones from the spread of other winter viruses when they are circulating widely, including flu and RSV.

• Upgrade Your Mask: Good fit and filtration continue to be the best way to get the most out of your mask. The best masks for preventing COVID-19 include the N95, KN95 and KF94. If you don’t have access to one of these masks, wear a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. If you choose a fabric mask, opt for one with three or more cloth layers. No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides.

• My Vaccine Record is an easy way to show vaccination status at venues or businesses that require proof of vaccination. Visit myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov today to get your vaccine record.

 

• Know What to Do if You’re Sick or Have Been Exposed: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), get tested, call your health care provider, and follow isolation guidance. Free, confidential testing is available statewide. Know what to do if you test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19.

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

 

• Travel Tips: Do not travel if you are sick or have tested positive for COVID-19. Make sure you are up to date on your COVID-19 and other vaccines before travel (both domestic and international). See the CDC’s full travel guidance.

• Add Your Phone to the Fight: Sign up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify. Also, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 – including those who test at home – are able to alert others of a potential exposure more quickly and conveniently. Individuals can now initiate the notification process as soon as they are aware of their positive test result. For more information, please visit the “Notify Others” page on CA Notify.

 

• Sign-Up for COVID-19 Policy Alerts: COVID-19 Policy Alerts provide up-to-date information regarding CDPH COVID-19 guidance and policy, including changes to orders, mandatory guidance and more. Registrants will receive prompt email alerts to updated guidance and policy available on our website as well as accompanying translations. Sign-up for the COVID-19 Policy Alerts emails today.

 

• Check with your local health department about local conditions. Local health departments may have policies that are stricter than state guidance.

 

Tracking COVID-19 in California

• Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public
• COVID-19 Age, Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Age, Race & Ethnicity data
• Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health
• Tracking Variants – Data on the variants California is currently monitoring
• Safe Schools for All Hub – Information about safe in-person instruction
• COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance – Monitoring the virus that causes COVID-19

 

Recommendations for a Healthy 2022-23 School Year

• The Safe Schools for All Hub consolidates key resources and information related to COVID-19 and schools.
• Learn more about the COVID-19 mitigation strategies to keep students, staff, and communities safe in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Guidance.
• Get more information on changes to COVID-19 testing strategies for the 2022-23 school year in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Testing Framework.
• The CDPH Testing Taskforce School Testing team has released a 2022-2023 K-12 Schools Testing Framework Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Health Care Workers

• As of December 21 local health departments have reported 187,054 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 598 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

• As of November 14, there have been 1,036 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported statewide. MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems. MIS-C can require hospitalization and be life threatening.