County Reports 61 New Cases, Praises Residents 'Resilience' As Weekly COVID Briefings End

San Diego CA

16 June, 2021

10:26 AM

Description

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego June 16, 2021 San Diego County public health officials delivered their last regularly scheduled COVID-19 briefing as new cases continue to fall and California officially reopened from the pandemic. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher noted that Tuesday's briefing was exactly 501 days after the county activated its emergency operations center to deal with the pandemic. Initially the briefings were daily, as worried San Diegans demanded information about a frightening new disease, then weekly as vaccinations began. Daily case numbers will continue to be released, but there won't be formal briefings. The data for Tuesday showed 61 new cases, but no deaths. Out of 7,605 test results received in the past day, just 0.8% were positive and the 14-day rolling average remained at that same level. "Today we feel good. And it's OK to feel good. We've made it through a historically challenging situation." Fletcher said. "San Diego showed our resilience. We showed our willingness to endure," he added. Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer concurred, but warned that the pandemic isn't completely over, noting that children under the age of 12 still need to be vaccinated once that's approved. "I'm feeling very grateful, hopeful and optimistic. We have vaccinated a lot of people in San Diego," she said during the livestreamed press conference. "We are very excited about where we are today, but it doesn't mean that things are over." As of Tuesday, 1,763,467 county residents have been fully vaccinated and another 351,485 have received their first dose. The vaccination rate is one of the highest in the country. Fletcher thanked the county's health workers, residents who staffed essential jobs, his wife, and even the news media for keeping the public informed. "We're now poised for a tremendous economy recovery" he said. Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.