Yesterday AstraZeneca announced positive results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial, becoming the third company in as many weeks to have a vaccine on the immediate horizon. “Immediate,” I should qualify, means it could be approved for emergency use as soon as December, but widescale availability remains months away.
This is still very good news and reinforces the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel, finally. More and more, talk is turning to the logistics of how vaccines will be distributed, who will go first, and the pros and cons of the three current options, including cost, cold storage needs and dosing intervals. When it comes to distribution, it’s not just how we here in the U.S. will get the vaccine out, but how vaccines will be distributed in other countries, especially those that lack a modern medical infrastructure. As one scientist noted, given global travel and commerce, if COVID-19 is anywhere in the world, it’s everywhere in the world.
New treatment approved
More good news, on the treatment front the Food & Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization Saturday for Regeneron’s antibody “cocktail,” the same treatment that made news when it was given to President Trump last month. The approval is limited to those 12 and older with mild to moderate symptoms and who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19. It must be given through an IV in a hospital or clinic. Quick turnaround testing is critical to the ability to administer this treatment because it must be given when the amount of virus in the body is high, but before the body launches its full response.
The initial supply will be allocated based on state case rates.
National and state case data
The charts below show why many are referring to the current surge in COVID-19 cases as the third wave. Whatever you want to call it, the data shows COVID-19 cases are reaching new highs, resulting in similar surges in hospitalizations and deaths.
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To illustrate the record-breaking number of new cases, The New York Times case tracking map had to adjust its color-coding legend over the weekend to add even darker shades of red.
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Local case update
So what does all this mean for San Diego County and, more specifically, Carlsbad? We too are seeing increases in cases. The chart below shows the change since my update last Thursday:
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Outbreaks
- 13 new community outbreaks were confirmed on Nov. 22: four in retail settings, three in restaurant settings, two in business settings, two in restaurant/bar settings, one in a government setting and one in a construction setting.
- 10 community outbreaks were confirmed Nov. 21: two in restaurant/bar settings, two in business settings, two in retail settings, one in a restaurant setting, one in a distribution warehouse setting, one in a healthcare setting and one in a residence setting.
- 12 community outbreaks were confirmed Nov. 20: two in restaurant/bar settings, two in business settings, two in retail settings, one in a fitness/gym setting, one in a hotel/resort/spa setting, one in an adult day care setting, one in a faith-based setting, one in a healthcare setting and one in a distribution warehouse setting.
- In the past seven days (Nov. 16 through Nov. 22), 61 community outbreaks were confirmed.
- COVID-19 rate by sex, ethnicity and age
- Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths
The county also tracks:
Hospital capacity
Hospitalizations have been called a lagging indicator, meaning they tend to go up a few weeks following increases in positive COVID-19 tests. On average, about 3% of those with COVID-19 end up requiring hospitalization. Following San Diego County’s recent record highs in cases, we’ve now seen the largest weekly total of COVID-related hospital admissions since the pandemic began.
According to today’s article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, COVID-related patients make up only about 10% of patients in local hospitals. Admissions for other causes went down over the weekend, creating more capacity overall.
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Public health officials will no doubt be tracking hospital capacity more closely than ever as local cases continue to be among the highest we’ve seen to date.
Support for local businesses
Along with the public health emergency, we are facing an economic emergency due to COVID-19. Faced with another round of closures and restrictions, some businesses in San Diego County requested a temporary halt to state-mandated restrictions. Following a Friday hearing, the judge denied this request, finding the need to protect public health during a pandemic was greater than the need to reduce financial harm to local businesses. Additional legal options are still on the table, but won’t likely be resolved until sometime next month.
In the meantime, the county announced a $20 million grant program for businesses, which will be discussed at a special meeting Wednesday at 2 p.m. If it’s approved, each of the five members of the Board of Supervisors would get $4 million to allocate to businesses in their districts. This money would be in addition to $27.5 million already provided by the county from federal stimulus money. You can watch the meeting live on the county’s website.
The City of Carlsbad is also providing direct relief to local businesses in the form of low-to-no interest microloans. So far, we’ve awarded loans to 71 Carlsbad businesses for a total of $1.24 million. By the way, we created the loan program based on input from local businesses. We are once again seeking feedback. If you or someone you know has a Carlsbad business, our latest business survey closes tomorrow at 5 p.m.
Shop local, save money
Just ahead of the holiday shopping season, the city has launched a new “shop local” campaign, urging residents to give their business to local companies whenever possible. Not only does this help those business owners closest to home, a portion of sales tax generated in Carlsbad goes to fund basic city services.
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Small Business Saturday
In a similar spirit, we are also promoting Small Business Saturday, an annual event following Black Friday. The Carlsbad Village Association is sponsoring a treasure hunt promotion that will help you explore shops downtown and become eligible for gift card drawings.
In a bit of bad timing, signs promoting a “scavenger hunt” popped up last week in the Village and Bressi Ranch area purporting to be sponsored by the City of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office. The QR code on the unauthorized signs leads you to a site promising the possibility of thousands of dollars via Venmo. The Carlsbad Police Department is investigating.
To clarify, the image on the left below shows the unauthorized sign promoting a scavenger hunt. The image on the right is the legitimate promotion for the Village treasure hunt.
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If you want to stick closer to home, don’t forget about the Gift Carlsbad site. More businesses are signing up all the time. When you buy a gift card through the site, you get additional dollars added, depending on how much you spend. This not only helps local businesses but makes your holiday spending go a little further.
Celebrating Thanksgiving
By now your Thanksgiving plans are likely set. If you are getting together with other households, please follow the county’s three S’s, Small, Short and Safe. Here are the CDC’s guidance for safer holiday celebrations as well as our county guidelines. Please keep in mind that close contact should be avoided even with family members if they live in a different household.
Although our Thanksgiving safety messages have naturally focused on avoiding getting COVID-19, other hazards and inconveniences can be easily avoided with some added awareness. If you like to use turkey fryers, please take a look at this video first.
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And if you’re cooking, remember to avoid clogs in your pipes by properly disposing of fats, oils and grease. There is a reason the holidays are the busiest time of year for plumbers! |
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Holiday schedule
City offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. If those are your normal trash pickup days, they’ll be delayed one day. Also, starting next week, the city will resume our normal street sweeping schedule. We’d modified it due to the stay at home order and the extra cars parked on the street. If you don’t know the schedule for your neighborhood, you can look it up here. Keeping our streets clean not only keeps our neighborhoods beautiful, it helps our lagoons and ocean water quality.
I’ll be back next Tuesday with more updates. In the meantime, you can follow the city’s official social media channels to stay up on the latest. If you don’t use social media, you can see our live Twitter feed on the city’s website even if you don’t have a Twitter account.
Finally, without diminishing the many hardships in our community over the past year, I want to end with a note of gratitude. Here in Carlsbad, we have so much to be thankful for. Our COVID-19 case rates are the lowest in the county, and we have not lost a single soul to the disease. This is a direct result of your actions. Thank you.
I am also so appreciative of our elected leaders here in Carlsbad, who have provided the direction and support needed to protect our community, and not just from COVID-19. They also took a leadership role on economic revitalization from the very first weeks of the local emergency declaration.
I am grateful for our dedicated city staff, all of whom also serve as disaster service workers. They have taken on new duties, showed remarkable creativity and innovation, and demonstrated once again why we are considered one of the best run local governments out there. It’s the people who make this happen. Core services have not been interrupted, important community projects continue, and we’ve found new, more efficient ways of doing business.
Finally, I am grateful for you. Engaged community members are the foundation of great cities. Your kind emails have buoyed my spirits and those of our staff. Your constructive criticisms have kept us on our toes and made us better.
We will be sharing the images in the collage below on Thanksgiving Day and asking our social media followers to share the things for which they are most grateful, be it friends and family, health care workers, grocery clerks, our beautiful environment, our pets – whatever is helping you maintain a sense of hope. I encourage you to participate. With that, I will once again say thank you for continuing to #Care4Carlsbad.
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Scott Chadwick
City Manager
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