While we wait for additional guidance from the state on what else can safely reopen, yesterday the County of San Diego provided an overview of the 13 data points that will determine if the reopenings will hold.
All along, officials have used a dial analogy to describe how and when the restrictions in public health orders would be adjusted. Naturally, the focus has been on a clockwise movement. In recent weeks we’ve seen many of the major restrictions eased, from beach closures to retail shops and offices. If things don’t go well, health officials may also dial things back.
13 measures to watch
The measures established by the county fall into three categories:
Epidemiology (disease tracking)
•New cases
•New community outbreaks (clusters of 11 or more related cases)
•“COVID-like” cases reported
•“Influenza-like illnesses” reported
Health care system (hospital capacity)
•Hospital capacity
•Increase in hospitalizations
•ICU capacity
•Ventilator capacity
•Personal protective equipment supply
Public health response
•Cases as a percentage of testing
•Capacity to investigate cases
•Capacity to trace contacts of patients
•Shelter available for homeless
These triggers will be updated regularly and displayed on a new public dashboard . Color coding will let people see immediately how the region is doing. Right now all measures are green for good. Let’s keep it that way!
