Feb. 11, 2021
I am happy to report that COVID-19 cases continue to decrease, and the measures we track are looking better and better, building on a trend that started a couple of weeks ago. Statewide we were at a 13.9% positivity rate a month ago and are at 4.8% today. Hospitalizations statewide saw a 34% decrease in the past 14 days. There’s been a 28% decrease in COVID-19 ICU cases during this same time period.

This is all great news, but it’s still tempered by uncertainty about new variants. At the governor’s news conference yesterday, he reported that the first cases of the South African variant have now been detected in California. Both are in the Bay Area. This is not unexpected, but it does raise the stakes in the fight against COVID-19. People are concerned about this variant because vaccines may not be as effective against it. Health experts don’t think the South African variant causes more serious illness.
 
San Diego continues to be a main hot spot for the U.K. variant, which is much more contagious than the original strain.
 
Vaccine progress
All of this makes the race to get people vaccinated all the more urgent. The governor reported the following updates yesterday:
  • Over 5 million people have been vaccinated in California so far
  • The state is getting about 1 million doses a week
  • No vaccines are being stockpiled; all are being distributed as they come in
  • Supplies are expected to increase starting in March

Local vaccines
More and more locations are coming online here in San Diego County, far more than the supply of vaccines currently supports. But, as supplies increase, our region will have the infrastructure in place to greatly increase the administration of vaccines. We’ve updated the city’s website with some additional links, including local pharmacies now offering vaccine appointments and Tri City Medical Center. The county is expected to bring on the San Diego Fairgrounds “supercenter” site soon as well.

Making appointments
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting our fire chief gave a great overview of how to find out about eligibility and sign up for a vaccination appointment. You can see the presentation here (starts about 15 minutes in). The short version is this:
  1. Check your eligibility based on the county tiers.

  1. When it’s your turn, check with your primary care doctor first.
  2. If you can’t get an appointment there, check the county’s website to make an appointment at one of several county-run or affiliated distribution sites.
  3. Local pharmacies are also starting to get vaccine supplies. Each has its own registration process (we have this linked on our website).
  4. If you are 65 or older, you can call 2-1-1 for help to make a vaccine appointment.

An announcement is expected Monday about a new more centralized vaccine distribution effort led by Blue Shield and Kaiser through a contract with the state. Until that is up and running, we will continue to share updates with you about the different options out there.

Operation Collaboration
The fire chief shared a video Tuesday giving a glimpse behind the scenes at the Carlsbad vaccine distribution site run by Operation Collaboration, a partnership between local fire agencies and the County of San Diego. We are very proud to host this site at a city-owned building here in Carlsbad. Appointments for this location are now listed on the county’s website. Please check back often because appointments are added as vaccine doses become available.

Case numbers
Here are the latest local case numbers:
You can see by the chart below that Carlsbad continues to have among the lowest COVID-19 cases based on total population. Please keep up the good work! And thank you!

More financial assistance coming
On Tuesday the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors decided how it will distribute pending emergency rental assistance funds allocated to the region by the state. The county will administer a single program, overseeing the distribution of an estimated $52.5 million in state funding and the $49 million in funding from the federal government the county received in January.

These funds will assist San Diegans economically impacted by COVID-19 by helping to pay for housing expenses. The program will be available to Carlsbad residents, as well as residents of 15 other cities and the unincorporated areas of the county. San Diego and Chula Vista received funding directly from the federal and state governments, so they’re not included in the county’s program.

The emergency rental assistance program is open to both County residents who have applied to previous emergency rental assistance programs, and those who have not received rental assistance through the initiative. The county will soon open the application period for the program. In the meantime, you can find out more on the county’s website.

Small Business Grants
The county Board of Supervisors also voted Tuesday to provide additional stimulus funds to small businesses that have suffered economic hardship due to the pandemic. The county will allocate at least $30 million to the Small Business Stimulus Grant Program once the federal and state governments appropriate funds to the county in the coming weeks.

The upcoming round will be open to small businesses and nonprofit entities with 20 or fewer employees.

New mask study
Health officials began recommending wearing two masks a few weeks ago, and now the CDC has published a report showing the difference an extra layer of fabric and proper fit can make. The graphic below sums up the high points. The full article is available here.
A vile mistake
Finally, today I’d like to thank those who pointed out my use of “vile” instead of “vial” in Tuesday’s update about vaccine availability (and, I’d also think to thank those who didn’t!).

In all seriousness, I have a thick skin and am committed to continuous improvement. In the midst of a busy week, I took spell check’s first suggestion and moved on too quickly.

Onward and upward. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

We are headed into a long weekend for Presidents Day. City offices will be closed Monday, but emergency services, as always, will be available. Here is a full list of city services and hours for Monday. Trash pickup will not be delayed.

Valentine’s Day is also this weekend. Please care for your loved ones by helping to keep them healthy. More vaccines are coming, and our numbers are getting better. Now is not the time to let up on precautions. Please stay the course. We are getting there.

Scott Chadwick
City Manager
City of Carlsbad | Website