County’s COVID-19 Case Rate Decreases, But Still Too High to Open Local Schools

According to Pasadena’s Public Health director, the current focus among public health officials is on schools.

“I see one main priority: getting community transmission rates low enough to make it feasible to open elementary schools,” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh.

Local students returned to school at home via social distancing on Monday.

The announcement came as hospitalization rates continued to plummet around the country.

Since July 21, active hospitalizations have fallen 24 percent and incubated patients have fallen to 17 percent, then to 7 percent over the past week.

Locally, 36 patients battling the coronavirus are currently hospitalized at Huntington Hospital.

The California Department of Public Health is presently recommending that counties with case rates of COVID-19 at or above 200 per 100,000 residents do not extend waivers for the reopening of classroom instruction for students in grades K-6.

The county’s current case rate has fallen to 282 per 100,000, down from 355 cases per 100,000 on Aug. 5.

Despite the declining case rate, indoor business remains prohibited at bars, restaurants, health clubs, and other places.

“Reopening of various sectors will be determined by the state, as we are currently restricted because the county is on the state monitoring list,” said Goh.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said new protocols for reopening sectors of the economy during the coronavirus pandemic are coming next week.

Newsom said his administration is working with local health officers and experts from around the country to come up with more “prescriptive” and “dynamic” criteria for safe reopening than currently exists.

The state reopened in May, but some experts said the state reopened too quickly and ignored guidelines established by the White House.

At least 17 states opened without a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. The rush to reopen later led to an increase in cases.

“Increases or decreases in cases do occur because of the opening and closing of various sectors, but also to a large extent because of people’s behaviors in terms of gathering with people they do not live with,” Goh said. “So the problem will be if for Labor Day, for example, a lot of people travel and interact with others, or get together and socialize, we will see an increase in cases two to three weeks later.”