Reported COVID-19 cases in Carlsbad have gone up by four since my Friday report to a new total of 90. Of these, we estimate 14 are active. The countywide 14-day rolling average percentage of positive tests is 2.9%.
There are four new community outbreaks. If this reaches seven in a seven-day period, county health officials could scale back recent openings, which I know we would all hate to see. Not only would it be an inconvenience for residents, think of everything our local businesses have gone through to get ready to reopen. Two other measures – percentage of hospitals that have at least a 15-day supply of personal protective equipment (masks, gowns, etc.) and percentage of available ICU capacity – could also trigger more health restrictions.
I am most concerned about community outbreaks because we have often seen two or three new ones crop up in a single day, and we are already at four. Community outbreaks aren’t just nursing homes, they are any gathering where cases can be traced back to a single event, like a birthday party or people eating in a restaurant. We can reduce the chance of new outbreaks by avoiding crowds, keeping our distance from others, washing hands often and wearing face coverings.
