The COVID-19 transmission rate remained high in Kern County and most of the state last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as infections from omicron variants pushed case numbers higher.
The CDC uses three rankings to measure COVID-19 community levels by county throughout the United States. On a map, counties colored green are identified as having low transmission rates; yellow indicates medium transmission rates and counties colored orange have high transmission rates.
Indicators for community levels are related to new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, both on a seven-day average. If it's less than 10 percent, the transmission rate is considered low. But as metrics rise, the level is adjusted, first to medium and then to high.
Advisories for individuals who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease range from having a plan for rapid testing and talking to healthcare providers about potential treatments when the transmission rate is low to taking greater precautions (such as wearing a mask) with medium transmission rate.
When the transmission rate in a county is high, the CDC recommends that everyone wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor community settings), and advises those with greater risk to follow more stringent protocols.
In all cases, individuals are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
Local numbers
Data released by the Kern County Public Health Services Department showed 58 new cases in the 93561 ZIP code between July 8 and July 15, compared to 100 new cases reported the previous week. The cases brought the total for the year to 3,394 and the total since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to 9,502.
At the California Correctional Institution, where incarcerated individuals are included in the 93561 ZIP code count by the health department, there were 5 active cases of COVID-19 among the inmate population as of July 15 (compared to 16 the previous week. There were 13 active staff cases — compared to 11 the previous week.)
Kern County reported a total of 2,482 COVID-19-related deaths countywide on July 15 — up by four from July 8. The county does not provide death data by specific community or ZIP code, citing privacy concerns.
Testing and vaccinations
The health department reminds residents they can find testing locations by going to kernpublichealth.com, clicking on the COVID-19 button and looking for “find a testing site near you.”
Current vaccination information is available online at kernpublichealth.com/coronavirus-vaccine. According to the California Department of Public health, COVID-19 vaccinations are now available for children under 5. Children can now get vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine if they are 6 months or older.
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