Fallbrook reports 349 coronavirus cases

Fallbrook’s coronavirus infection rate has inched up again in the last week.

The 92028 ZIP code, which also includes the communities of De Luz and Rainbow, now has 349 total coronavirus cases as of Aug. 10, and about seven-tenths of 1% of the area’s population has tested positive for the virus.

That’s an increase of 45 new cases since last week, when 92028 had recorded 304 cases, or an infection rate of 620.3 cases per 100,000.

The area, previously one of the least affected by the virus, began recording an uptick in infections in June, and has been roughly in the middle of the county’s distribution of coronavirus infection rates since then.

Last week, the 92028 ZIP code had the 39th-highest coronavirus infection rate in San Diego County, and the 41st lowest. The area has now gone up two slots, however; 92028 has the 37th-highest coronavirus infection rate in the county and the 43rd-lowest as of Aug. 10.

Bonsall, meanwhile, reported only one more coronavirus case, Aug. 10, than a week prior, for a new total of 35 cases. The county still cannot estimate an infection rate for Bonsall because of the low number of cases and low population.

Countywide, health officials Aug. 10 reported 228 new COVID-19 infections and five community outbreaks, raising the county's cumulative caseload to 32,975 and bringing to two dozen the number of outbreaks in the past week.

No new coronavirus fatalities were reported Aug. 10. The total death toll remains at 594.

The latest outbreaks were reported in a restaurant, a restaurant/bar setting, a government office, a business and a grocery store, according to the county Health and Human Services Agency.

The number of community outbreaks remains well above the county's goal of fewer than seven in a seven-day span.

A community setting outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in a setting and in people of different households in the past 14 days.

The number of patients hospitalized for treatment for coronavirus totaled 321 as of Monday, with 101 of those patients in intensive care units.

Sunday saw the fewest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since June.

Of the total positive cases in the county, 2,752 – or 8.3% – have required hospitalization since the pandemic began, and 689 – or 2.1% – were admitted to an intensive care unit.

The county's case rate per 100,000 residents Aug. 10 was 101.6. The state's goal is fewer than 100 per 100,000. The case rate is a 14-day average and is based on the date of the actual onset of the illness in each patient, not the date the illness was first reported by the county. Lags in reporting often lead to delays in new confirmed cases being reported to and announced by health officials.

The county reported 7,570 tests Saturday, Aug. 8, 3% of which returned positive. The 14-day rolling average percentage of positive cases is 5%. The state's target is fewer than 8.0% testing positive. The seven-day daily average of tests is 8,148.

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said Wednesday, Aug. 5, that because of problems with the state's electronic reporting system, which has led to a backlog in test results, additional cases might be retroactively added to both local and statewide case totals in coming weeks.

The percentage of people testing positive for the illness who have been contacted by a county contact tracer in the first 48 hours increased from 7% July 18 to 97% Monday, Aug. 10. The county's target for this metric is more than 90%.

Of the total hospitalized during the pandemic due to the illness, 71% have been 50 or older. But county residents ages 20-29 have accounted for 25.5% of COVID-19 cases, the highest of any age group, according to county data. That age group is also least likely to take precautionary measures to avoid spreading the illness, officials said.

“Some San Diegans think they're not going to get sick and therefore are not following the public health guidance,” Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer, said last week. “What they don't realize is that they could get infected and pass the virus to others who are vulnerable.”

The age group with the second-highest number of infections – residents ages 30-39 – represent 18.9% of the county's COVID-19 cases.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Will Fritz can be reached at [email protected].