The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency on Thursday reported 4,821 new COVID-19 cases, as numbers fell after the significant Thanksgiving spike.
They also announced the local availability of the bivalent booster for youngsters ages 6 months and up.
The Federal Drug Administration has expanded the emergency use of the updated Pfizer and Moderna bivalent booster vaccines for children and babies.
“We can now provide additional protection for children as young as six months of age from COVID-19,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. “This is especially important with the high incidence of COVID-19 in our community.”
Meanwhile, the new COVID case count, from the seven days that ended Monday, dropped from the 5,649 lab-confirmed cases in the prior week, ending Dec. 5.
They remain far higher though than the week of Thanksgiving, when 3,455 new infections were recorded.
With the new numbers, the total cases in San Diego County rose to 952,752. The county also announced 24 more COVID deaths, placing the pandemic toll at 5,608.
On the flu front, cases are slightly down, with 1,603 new lab-confirmed cases, less than the 2,600 cases reported the prior week. Seven more local residents died of the flu, for a total of 20 this season.
Officials had warned of the possibility of holiday gatherings, held in close quarters, contributing to a rise in illnesses, and Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations are about to be in full swing.