San Diego County public health officials reported 113 new coronavirus cases and six deaths Thursday as daily testing set a record of just under 4,000.
The county reported 3,998 tests, a number that is three-quarters of the way toward a goal of 5,200 believed necessary to control the spread of infection once businesses fully reopen.
“We had a big jump in testing today. We got really, really close to the 4,000 number,” said Supervisor Nathan Fletcher at the county’s daily media briefing. “This does reflect the ongoing commitment and effort to see a sustained upward stepping of our testing.”
Since the first local case in March, there have been a total of 92,085 tests administered, 5,391 confirmed cases and 200 deaths. The latest victims were aged from 73 to 98 and had underlying medical issues.
The two-week rolling average dropped again, with 3% of Thursday’s tests proving positive.
Fletcher said that without San Diegans’ willingness to stay home and comply with social distancing, the number of deaths could have reached 13,000. “The actions we’ve taken have saved lives,” he said.
Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, said that after she expressed concerns Wednesday about local casinos reopening, representatives of tribal governments met with her Thursday.
She noted that while the tribes have sovereign authority over the casinos, “the county and the tribes share a mutual interest in protecting the health of the community.”
“In our meeting this morning, they stated they are implementing a phased-in approach,” she said, that includes the key components of sanitation, social distancing, wearing masks and screening people.
“Our strategy is to review those plans with them and provide guidance and advice where possible,” she said.
Fletcher said there was a “long and dark history of white people” telling American Indians what they can and cannot do.
“It’s not my place to tell them what to do,” he said.
