COVID-19 cases are rising once again throughout California.
While the Bay Area’s hospitalization rates are the lowest they’ve been in the past four months due to generally high vaccination rates, case counts are still rising or remaining steadily high in various areas, according to recent reports.
In Santa Clara County, the 7-day rolling average of new cases is 176, which while still fairly low, has increased from a season low in the mid-130s in October, and is still significantly higher than the previous lows in mid-May 2021, when 7-day rolling average case counts were in the mid-20s.
Notably, the case rates are drastically different for unvaccinated populations compared to vaccinated ones. According to the County’s Public Health Department, the 7-day average case rate per 100,000 residents is 8.8 overall, but the figure for unvaccinated groups (ages 12+) is 33.7, versus a rate of 6.2 for those who are fully vaccinated. While figures for vaccinated residents have remained relatively constant over the past few weeks, unvaccinated populations are experiencing a clear spike in cases.
Over the past two weeks, hospitalization rates for COVID-19 patients in Santa Clara County have decreased by 16% after an increase earlier this month. In addition, COVID deaths have remained stable – 10 deaths have occurred in the last two weeks, according to reports. The County’s 14-day average for positive tests is at 2%.
76% of all Santa Clara County residents are fully vaccinated, as compared to 59% for the United States overall. This figure is 89% for Santa Clara County residents ages 12 and older and 92% for those at or above the age of 65, versus rates of 69% and 86% in the U.S., respectively. Vaccination data for the country, states, and counties can be found here.