County Making Progress as Testing Increases
Finally seeing the other side of a Labor Day case spike, San Bernardino County is making progress in our effort to move from the State’s Purple Tier to its Red Tier. The past week saw a decline in our positivity rate (from 6.5% to 6.2%), and County officials are especially encouraged by a noticeable increase in testing volume.
“We’re pleased to see that many residents are responding to our requests to get tested,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “Yet we need to maintain and even increase this growth. Getting tested is especially important for younger residents, who comprise a disproportionate percentage of new cases.”
Who’s testing positive?
Recent data show that 60.3% of our new cases involved residents between the ages of 18 and 49; more than 35% are in the 18 to 34-year-old segment of the population.
While younger individuals are less likely to face the most serious consequences from COVID-19, they can unintentionally spread it to those at much greater risk — such as people over the age of 50, who represent almost 91% of those who have been killed by the disease.
“By expanding testing, we not only move closer to the day when more schools, businesses and other establishments are permitted to open, we can also prevent the disease from spreading to some of our most vulnerable residents,” said County Health Director Corwin Porter. “We are grateful for those who have agreed to get tested, and continue to plead with everyone else to consider how much good they can accomplish with so little effort.”
Achieve Peace of Mind through Repeated Testing
By now most county residents understand that getting tested for COVID-19 is a good idea, and can play a crucial role in protecting your health and that of others. But getting tested multiple times is even better, especially if you plan to spend any time with people outside your immediate household.
It’s an easy, cost-free way to help ensure you’re not spreading the virus to family, friends, and others with whom you come in contact.
Over the past several months, County leaders have intensely focused on slowing the spread of COVID-19 in order to protect health, save lives and enable area businesses to reopen. Much of our current emphasis is on achieving the metrics that will allow the county to move from the State’s Purple Tier into the Red Tier.
Getting to Red requires us to reduce the number of new cases while improving our overall positivity rate. It also requires the county to achieve testing numbers the State is demanding. That’s why so much of the County’s communications effort has sought to persuade residents to not only follow basic health guidelines (e.g., mask wearing and social distancing) but also to get tested.
Improved testing numbers can lead to reopening
We recently have seen some improvement in these numbers and are increasingly convinced that continuing to expand testing is key to our hopes for reopening. Now, with limited gatherings of people outside of immediate households being permitted, County health officials have begun to emphasize the benefits of individuals getting tested more than once.
“We are encouraging people who have gotten together with others, or who plan to do so in the near future, to consider getting tested both before and after such gatherings,” said Corwin Porter, County Public Health Director. “This includes people planning to get together over the holidays.”
Porter said that such “before” and “after” testing will provide peace of mind — both to those concerned about contracting the disease and those who want to make sure they don’t accidentally infect others.
“As we’ve said repeatedly, people can be infected with the virus and spread it to others without showing any signs of the disease,” he said. “It is especially important for asymptomatic carriers to avoid getting close to anyone at risk for serious illness. No one wants to be responsible for getting grandma or grandpa sick.”
Porter emphasized that there is no limit to the number of times an individual can be tested. Tests are free, painless, and available without a doctor’s prescription. Check here for more information on tests, testing locations and appointment options.
Skin Care, Tattoo Studios & Massage Therapy Permitted to Reopen
The State of California has issued new guidance for “expanded personal care services” that will allow businesses in these industries to open in San Bernardino County and elsewhere throughout the state.
The new guidance focuses on personal care services that require touching a client’s face, including facials, electrolysis, and waxing. It applies to esthetic, skin care, electrology, body art professionals, tattoo studios, piercing shops, and massage therapy businesses (in non-healthcare settings).
All businesses in this category are required to follow the modifications included in the new guidance.
 Miss the Voter Registration Deadline?
Voters who missed the voter registration deadline for the 2020 Presidential General Election, can still register and vote in person at an Early Vote site or at a polling place using the Same Day Voter Registration process.
First time voters who are not yet registered and registered voters who moved into San Bernardino County but have not updated their address can still vote in this year’s General Election using the Same Day Voter Registration process. Known as Conditional Voter Registration in State law, this is a safety net for Californians who missed the October 19 deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration.
Eligible citizens who need to register (or re-register) to vote within 14 days of an election can complete this process to register at the San Bernardino County ROV office, or from Oct. 26 through Oct. 30, at any of the Early Vote Sites that will be open.
From Saturday, Oct. 31 through Tuesday, Nov. 3, eligible citizens can take advantage of Same Day Voter Registration at their polling place. These voters will be provided provisional ballots to cast, which then will be processed and counted once the Registrar of Voters has completed the voter registration verification process.
To register to vote in California, you must be:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California
- 18 years old or older on Election Day,
- Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
As of today, a total of 380 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 362 inmates have recovered.
A total of 207 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19; with 194 having recovered from the virus. The other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks.
Latest Stats
60,621 Confirmed Cases (up 1.4% from the previous day)
1,028 Deaths (up 0.7% from the previous day)
737,022 Tests (up 1.0% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile
tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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