County Officials Report 979 New COVID-19 Positives As Data Boost Case For 3rd Vaccine Dose

San Diego CA

23 August, 2021

3:28 PM

Description

By Editor, Times of San Diego August 23, 2021 San Diego County health officials reported 979 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, along with seven new hospitalizations. The new numbers brought the county's case total since the pandemic began to 322,620. The death toll remained at 3,848. A total of 14,722 tests were reported Sunday, as the rate of new positive cases over the past week dropped slightly, to 8.5%. Statewide, health officials noted 14,564 new cases, for a total of 4.11 million over the course of the pandemic. Eighty-nine people died from the virus, as the number of deaths in California rose to 64,674. Meanwhile, a third dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the country's Health Ministry showed on Sunday. Israel began to administer third shots to that group on July 30. The U.S. already has cleared the way for boosters for people with compromised immune systems, while President Biden called this week for third shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for all adults. The boosters – eight months following a person's second shot – could become available as soon as the week of Sept. 20, Biden said. Reuters contributed to this report. 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.