With hospitalizations and new cases of COVID-19 dropping, California’s mask mandate for vaccinated people indoors has been allowed to expire.
California reports that 83.6 percent of the state’s population has been vaccinated, with only 57 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people reported statewide in the past week.
State officials said the rate of new COVID-19 cases has dropped 64 percent from the omicron peak in January.
Colusa County Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Kelly reported Tuesday there had been an increase of 83 cases in Colusa County the past week, although that number is more than half of what the county had been reporting at the omicron peak in the last month.
“That is a good thing,” Kelly said.
Kelly said there were 632 COVID-19 cases in isolation, down two from last week, and there were no individuals hospitalized, down four from the previous week.
Kelly did confirm Colusa County’s 27th death this past week was that of a 92-year-old male.
According to the CDC, 24 percent of deaths from COVID-19 have been individuals over 85 years old, although they represent only 2 percent of the overall population in the U.S; 26 percent of deaths have been individuals 75-84, who represent 4.9 percent of the population; 22 percent have been individuals 64-74, who represent 9.6 percent of the population.
Most have one or more comorbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, elderly, or compromised immune system, according to the CDC. Latino/Hispanic individuals are 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than white, non-Hispanics, and 1.9 times more likely to die. Black/African Americans are 2.5 times more likely than white to be hospitalized, but 1.7 times more likely to die, according to the CDC. American Indians and Alaskan Natives are 3.2 times more likely than whites to be hospitalized, and 2.2 times more likely for COVID-19 to result in death.
The California Department of Public Health announced that it will continue the mask mandate indoors in public schools, regardless of vaccination status, despite an outpouring of opposition.
Colusa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Merced Corona said he has taken calls from the public regarding the state’s position to keep school mask mandates, which Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference on Jan. 9 is being driven by the teacher’ unions.
“For some reason, people think we have that control at the county,” Corona said. “I try to relay to them that they need to go to their (school) boards and let their voices be heard at that level. People are very upset that the state mandate is going away, but schools are still having their kids wear masks.”
According to the CDC, children ages 5-11, 12-15, and 16-17, combined, represent 26.3 percent of the total U.S. population, but account for 0.0 percent of the deaths. Children birth to age 4 represent 6 percent of the population, and .1 percent of the deaths.
On Feb. 28, state officials are expected to reassess and decide if they want to remove the school requirement for masks or present it as a recommendation only.
Meanwhile, state and county officials report that vaccines can reduce the severity of COVID-19.
Kelly said the Colusa County Public Health Department would begin having weekly clinics at the Webster St. office for two hours for those who wish to receive a booster or decide to become vaccinated. Dates for the clinics had not yet been set, she said.
Kelly said Pfizer has put the brakes on getting emergency use authorization from the FDA for its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 years old.
“Our Public Health Officer (Dr. Julian Delgado) was not in favor of that moving so quickly, so he was actually pleased to see that it’s been placed on hold at this time,” Kelly said.
Kelly confirmed that for the majority of people, COVID-19 symptoms are similar to a common cold. The four people who were recently hospitalized, however, had been hospitalized for more than a week, and are now recovering, she said. ■