Right after I sent last week’s update, the President announced a series of new initiatives to help slow the spread of COVID-19. In the following days we have seen several other announcements – new studies, updated timelines on vaccine approval for kids, more information about booster shots and new health precautions being enacted by a county north of here.
So far, nothing definitive has come out that changes the health recommendations here in San Diego County. But it does show that COVID-19 is still very much an evolving issue, both in terms of what we know and what is being done to reduce spread.
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- 57 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the past week, the highest weekly total during this current surge of the pandemic
- Of the 57 deaths, 15 were 80 years of age or older, 11 were in their 70s, 22 were in their 60s, four were in their 50s, two were in their 40s and three were in their 30s
- Since March 1, 2021, over 96% of hospitalizations and nearly 89% of deaths have occurred in people who are not fully vaccinated
- 81.3% of the COVID-19 cases have occurred in San Diegans who are not fully vaccinated compared to 19.7% cases in people who were fully vaccinated
New cases are continuing their downward trend (remember, deaths tend to trail new cases by several weeks). So that is at least a bit of good news moving forward, but does not at all diminish the grief and suffering of the many, many people who have lost loved ones during this most recent surge.
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Vaccination progress
The county also continues to promote the availability of no-cost COVID-19 vaccines. They can be found at medical providers, retail pharmacies, community clinics and county public health centers for people who do not have a medical provider. For a list of locations and more information, visit www.coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.
Yesterday’s county update included the following progress on the vaccination efforts:
- Doses administered: Close to 4.7 million
- Received at least one shot: About 2.5 million or 87.1% of San Diegans 12 and older
- Fully vaccinated: Over 2.16 million or 77.2%
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More vaccination information can be found at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine
Outbreaks
Outbreaks continue to be a concern. In the past week, 56 new community outbreaks were confirmed. The top sources are listed below:
- 18 in TK-12 grade school settings
- 10 in business settings
- 8 in restaurant/bar settings
Finally, please continue to do your part to keep our community safe:
- Get vaccinated.
- Avoid crowds, especially indoors.
- When you’re inside with others, open a window or do other things to keep the space well-ventilated.
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Wear a mask indoors if you’re around people outside your household. Here’s the latest mask fact sheet from the California Department of Public Health.
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Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Wash your hands regularly, and don’t touch your face.
Keep in mind, workplaces, schools and other organizations may decide to use stricter precautions when it comes to COVID-19 exposure.
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New laws to address homeless complaints
The City Council discussed several changes to city laws Tuesday aimed at improving public safety and quality-of-life concerns related to homelessness and public spaces, while protecting the rights of people experiencing homelessness.
As you may know, changes in state law and recent court decisions have limited the Police Department’s ability to curb certain conduct and enforce existing laws. To pass legal muster, laws often must include reasonable “time, place and manner” restrictions, rather than enacting wholesale prohibitions on types of conduct.
Here are the proposed updates:
- Prohibit certain types of solicitation, such as aggressive solicitation and soliciting to motorists stopped at traffic signals or stop signs
- Prohibit fires and cooking on public property
- Prohibit storing or leaving personal property unattended in public areas during certain times of the day
- Expand and add city laws that prohibit obstruction of property, trespassing and disorderly conduct
- Add Holiday Park and Pine Avenue Community Park public spaces to the list of areas where open containers of alcohol are prohibited (with some exceptions)
- Make all the above offenses chargeable as a misdemeanor, although police officers would continue to use their discretion to issue citations, make misdemeanor arrests or issue warnings in lieu of enforcement
You can find out more about the city’s comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness on our website. The new laws and other updates will be discussed at the Sept. 28 City Council meeting.
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Carlsbad firefighters helping with Northern California blazes
I want to recognize the Carlsbad Fire Department for its service during the recent wildfires that have devastated parts of Northern California. Since July, our Fire Department has sent four firefighters in rotating two-week deployments to help fire-threatened areas up north. (The positions have been backfilled here at home, so there’s been no change in coverage for our local community.)
This is a great example of something called the mutual aid system, which benefits Carlsbad, too. We know when or if we have a major incident, we can count on other agencies to reciprocate, like they did during the 2014 Poinsettia Fire. No single jurisdiction can manage some of these complex fires alone.
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I-5 work to start in north Carlsbad
Be on the lookout for road construction starting in the next few weeks along I-5, as a huge regional project to widen the freeway and improve the I-5 corridor makes its way to northern Carlsbad.
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The project, called Build NCC, (NCC stands for North Coast Corridor) is led by the California Department of Transportation and the San Diego Association of Governments.
- It includes extending I-5 carpool lanes in both directions from Solana Beach to State Route 78, along with other coastal projects including rail double-tracking, restoring the San Elijo Lagoon, and building seven miles of new bike lanes.
- In Solana Beach, Encinitas and southern Carlsbad, much of the work has been completed, or will be in the next several months.
- Construction is wrapping up now on new carpool lanes from La Costa Avenue to Palomar Airport Road.
- We will share updates about construction details as we get them, so you know when and where to avoid (if possible) so you’re not inconvenienced too much.
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You can learn more about what to expect during the next phase of construction, which will extend the 1-5 carpool lanes from Carlsbad to State Route 78, during an upcoming Build NCC webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. Join via Zoom here.
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Share your input on new housing locations
We had a great response this week to our first virtual workshop seeking community input on where new housing could be created in Carlsbad to satisfy a state requirement that cities accommodate their fair share of the region’s housing needs.
You’ll have another opportunity to weigh in on proposed housing locations at a second workshop next week (via Zoom).
You can see the 18 proposed locations for new housing on this interactive map. The locations were chosen based on public input gathered last year. You can also provide feedback through an online survey or by emailing us.
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First public hearing on redistricting Sept. 23
The city’s Independent Redistricting Commission will hold its first public hearing next Thursday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m. The City Council decided to appoint an independent commission to choose a new district map instead of choosing it themselves. The commission has regular meetings that are open to the public. You can see the schedule here.
The focus of this first hearing is to get your input on communities that should stay together for the purpose of electing a City Council member, starting with next November’s election.
- The virtual hearing will be held on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Sign up to provide comments by phone. A link will be provided when the agenda is available.
- It will be livestreamed on the city’s website and cable channel (Spectrum 24 and AT&T U-verse channel 99).
- At the hearing, you can provide input to the city’s Independent Redistricting Commission, which will select the final district map by April 2022.
- Here are some questions you can help answer:
- What defines your community?
- What are the boundaries of your community?
- Why would this community benefit from being included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation?
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Next week's City Council meeting
The next City Council meeting will be Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. Here are some topics the council is scheduled to discuss:
- Renewing a lease for a city owned building that houses the MiraCosta College Technology Career Institute
- Renewing an agreement to provide police school resource officers to the Carlsbad Unified School District
- Amending or updating the city’s Municipal Code to match the city’s current leadership structure (adding the Assistant City Manager position instead of a “Chief Operations Officer”) and enabling the city to recover attorneys’ fees in public nuisance cases
- Setting a 45 mph speed limit for the recently completed last stretch of Poinsettia Lane
- A sustainable materials management program to cut down on the waste that goes to landfills
- Declaring that Carlsbad faces a climate emergency
- A City Council policy on using city resources for council members’ community meetings
- Possible purchase of property northeast of El Camino Real and College Boulevard for open space
- A public engagement plan to create a vision for the coast along south Carlsbad Boulevard and design a 1-mile stretch of Carlsbad Boulevard vulnerable to sea level rise
- An appeal by someone who has been suspended from the city’s Senior Center
In addition, these city meetings are also coming up:
- Parks and Recreation Commission, Sept. 20, 5:30 p.m.
- Library Board of Trustees, Sept. 22, 4 p.m.
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Fun things to do
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