The rolling 14-day average of positive COVID-19 tests based on total tests has decreased to 5.7%. This is also good news since that metric was inching toward the threshold of 8% last week.
Since my last update on Thursday, Carlsbad has 33 more cases for a new cumulative total of 445. We estimate 127 are active right now. San Diego County reported 523 new cases for July 26. To date, 27,507 positive cases have been reported in San Diego County.
Another trigger being watched closely is the hospital bed capacity. Currently, 72% of hospital beds are full in San Diego County, just 8% below the threshold of 80%.
Meet our new Library & Cultural Arts Director
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a long road that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight anytime soon. It continues to take a village made up of committed city staff and strong leadership to help navigate and support our community through these challenging times. Much of our staff have worked at the city for many years, making them an extension of our community. This is the case for the newest member of our city leadership team, our new Library & Cultural Arts Department Director Suzanne Smithson.
Suzanne has worked for the library longer than she has not worked for the library in her life. She started work for the city in 1991 as a part-time library clerk and has played a big role in the process of evolving our library services and resources to continue to make them available during COVID-19. Check out this
short video
to hear about Suzanne’s vision for the department and why she feels Library & Cultural Arts programs and services are at the heart of the community.
Today’s City Council meeting
We’ll be providing the City Council with an update on the city’s overall response to COVID-19, including spending to date. You can see the
full agenda
on the city’s website. The City Council will also consider administrative enforcement of the face covering requirements included in the state and county public health orders. If approved, this enforcement could allow the city to issue administrative citations for those who violate the health orders and don’t wear face coverings when entering businesses or anywhere else where they could come into contact with others.
The meeting starts at 3 p.m. and can be watched on the
website or city cable channel
. If you’d like to make comments, remember to
sign up by 2 p.m.
today and then call in starting at 3 p.m. so you can provide your input verbally by phone.
Small actions make a big difference
I realize much focus the past few weeks has been on the importance of wearing face coverings. While this is for good reason, the California Department of Public Health guidance on face coverings emphasizes that they should not be a substitute for social distancing or washing your hands.
One of the easiest ways that we can all help slow the spread of COVID-19 is by washing our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Here’s a reminder from the CDC on five steps to follow every time:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.