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The latest wave of coronavirus cases, fueled by the extra-infectious delta variant, put San Francisco’s case rate above the national rate for the first time since March 2020, near the very start of the pandemic in the United States. United
San Francisco has seen an increase in the number of new infections since California reopened on June 15 and the delta variant has started to spread in the region. The increase in the number of cases in adults aged 25 to 39 has led to this increase.
On August 7, data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the average daily rate of new cases in San Francisco was over 33 cases per 100,000 people in the past 7 days, up from 32.7 in the USA. (Data from the San Francisco Department of Public Health shows that San Francisco has a slightly lower case rate of 31.3, but we chose to use CDC data for comparability with the United States).
San Francisco is among more than 2,400 counties in the United States designated by the CDC as having high or substantial coronavirus transmission rates, meaning those counties had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people over the course of last week.
Public health experts believe the current wave fueled by the delta variant will likely peak at the end of the month or early next year, and drop in September.
The delta variant, which is significantly more infectious than previous forms of coronavirus, increases transmission and even infects a small percentage of people vaccinated, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said.
In response, some restrictive measures, including indoor mask requirements, have returned to help reduce transmissions. The health service has also strongly encouraged the use of masks in crowded outdoor spaces, including at parades, fairs, concerts and sporting events.
Health officials also continue to emphasize the importance of vaccinations in protecting against serious illness and death. San Francisco, which has a high vaccination rate, had a relatively low rate of COVID-19 hospital admissions compared to other counties with similar case rates.
“COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in protecting people against serious illness and hospitalization, and the vaccine continues to be our best way to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” said Dr Naveena Bobba , San Francisco’s acting health official, in a press release.
Yoohyun Jung is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @yoohyun_jung
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