While some counties in the state require indoor masks regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status, San Diego County continues to follow. California Department of Public Health guidelines require that unvaccinated individuals be hidden indoors and that everyone is concealed in designated locations.
County health officials say vaccination is the most important step to preventing the spread of COVID-19, moving the economy forward, reducing risks to the vulnerable, and returning to our pre-pandemic way of life.
“COVID-19 is now a non-vaccinated pandemic,” said Wilma J.: Wootten, MD, MPH, regional public health officer. “Get vaccinated now, especially with the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations.”
State guidelines allow businesses to order masks for everyone indoors, regardless of whether or not people have been vaccinated. County health officials say San Diegan, who are uncomfortable with others, should wear a mask if they want to.
“Despite receiving full vaccinations, I still wear a mask in public,” said Eric MacDonald, MD, MPH, the county’s chief medical officer. “People should take whatever precautions they want to prevent infection and the spread of COVID-19, especially if they live with someone who cannot be vaccinated or who is immunocompromised.”
Ninety-eight percent of hospitalizations in the past 30 days are for people who have not been vaccinated or have not completed the full course of the two-dose vaccine.
Additionally, about 150,000 San Diegans have only been partially vaccinated and the second injection date has been postponed.
“One dose of the vaccine does not give you enough immunity to prevent infection with COVID-19, especially the delta type,” Wootten said. “Getting two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will give you the best protection against all types of COVID-19 currently in circulation.”
From Friday to Sunday (July 23-25), an additional 2,044 cases of COVID-19 and 55 hospitalizations were reported. The number of community outbreaks now stands at 27, after 12 more cases were confirmed in the past three days.
The county is working with medical providers to help them remind patients and is using the San Diego Immunization Registry to develop follow-up reminders for those who are late for their second dose.
To facilitate access to COVID-19 vaccines, the county now operates the Great Eight, a group of free, geographically dispersed vaccination sites that allow people to choose one of the three vaccines available in the United States, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Johnson. For a list of locations and more information, visit www.coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.
