San Diego County Marks COVID Milestone With 30K Total Hospitalizations

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — More than 30,000 San Diegans have been hospitalized with COVID-19 locally since the beginning of the pandemic, San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency reported.

The first county resident was hospitalized in the region on Feb. 25, 2020. As of Wednesday, there are 100 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of five from Tuesday. The total number of patients in intensive care beds is 16, a decrease of one from the day prior.

While hospitalizations have been slowing down since the Omicron variant surpassed its peak earlier this year, new COVID-19 infections reached a two-week high Wednesday with 405 reported. Though the figure is still well below daily case counts repeatedly over 10,000 in January of this year, county health officials are urging vulnerable populations to practice increased caution when out in public.

"The unfortunate hospitalization milestone and bump in cases in the region and across the country are a reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over," said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. "San Diegans, especially those at higher risk for severe outcomes from an infection, should continue to utilize non-pharmaceutical interventions, like masking and staying away from sick people. Everyone should get vaccinated and boosted when they are eligible, protecting themselves and those around them."

Wednesday's data included two additional deaths, which increased the county's cumulative total to 5,231. The cumulative infections increased to 755,863.

In San Diego County, 94.3% of residents eligible -- age 5 and older -- have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 82.8% of those eligible -- or 2.61 million -- are fully vaccinated and 55.9% from a smaller eligibility group -- 1,229,500 -- have received boosters.

— City News Service