San Diego County's three-year-long COVID-19 local and health emergency proclamations and declarations expire next week, and the county's public health officer Thursday offered a message asking for continued vigilance against the virus.
"Our declaration of a local health emergency and local emergency proclamation will end Feb. 28, matching the end of the state's declarations," said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten. "But make no mistake, this is not the time to let your guard down.
"The virus is still circulating throughout the community," she said. "People are still being hospitalized and dying. So protect yourself, your family and friends. We strongly urge people to get current with their COVID-19 vaccinations, including the bivalent booster."
The county Health and Human Services Agency will continue testing, treating and vaccinating. Weekly updates on the COVID-19 cases and deaths in the community will cease after this week, public health officials said. New information will be shared with the public if and when the HHSA has it.
The county's COVID-19 web pages will continue to be updated weekly, at sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019 -nCoV/status.html.
More than 2.69 million or 80.7% of San Diegans have received the primary series of one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 576,531 bivalent boosters — or 22.9% of 2,514,949 eligible San Diegans — have been administered.
Both COVID-19 vaccinations and treatment remain widely available throughout San Diego County. COVID-19 primary series vaccines and bivalent boosters, as well as flu vaccines, are available at local pharmacies, medical providers' offices and county vaccination sites.
A total of 1,774 COVID-19 cases were reported to the county in the past seven days. The region's cumulative total increased to 983,031. Additionally, nine deaths were reported in the past week, increasing the region's deaths to 5,768.
Influenza cases also remain low, with 70 reported last week — compared to 61 the previous. No new deaths were reported. The region's total number of flu cases increased to 20,949 while deaths remained at 40.
