Good Morning, Mission! Welcome to Virus Village, your daily Covid-19 data dump.
The Citywide average positivity rate has lately hovered between 2 percent and 2.3 percent. In the Mission, before Thanksgiving, the rate was around 10 percent. On an average day over 8,000 tests are administered in the City, while less than 1000 are administered in the Mission and the most vulnerable neighborhoods. Why does the City refuse to act now? And where’s the famous “28.5 million dollars?”
The CDC has recommended first vaccines should be provided to health care workers and long-term care residents. Given that San Francisco considers supportive-housing/congregate- living settings similar to nursing home operations, will supportive housing clients and staff be prioritized?
In the midst of San Francisco’s biggest spike in Covid cases, the Warriors asked for, and were denied, permission to open Chase Center at half-capacity. Dubs’ owner Joe Lacob trashed publich health officials as backward and ignorant. OK Joe, you want fans? That’s not going to happen unless City case numbers fall. Why don’t you make your “rapid PCR tests” available Citywide? A popup testing site at the 24th Street BART station?
Scroll down for today’s Covid numbers.
The positivity percentage seen at 24th and Mission reflects the City’s rapid virus spread. Between October 31 and November 29, the Mission reported a record 371 new cases for a cumulative total of 2149, or 36 cases per 1000 residents. Other neighborhoods seeing rapid virus growth include Bayview-Hunters Point (286), Excelsior (232), Sunset/Parkside (175), Tenderloin (165), Marina (134), Outer Mission (126), Bernal Heights (115), Portola (108), and Visitacion Valley (106).
Covid-19 R estimation for California estimates San Francisco’s R number to be sliding downward, though too high for comfort at approximately 1.2. The ensemble of models oddly estimates the local R number higher at 1.28.
Case numbers continue to reflect relatively rapid transmission. For the week ending November 25, the seven-day average number of Citywide daily cases was 146 or 16.7 cases per 100,000 residents.
The absolute and relative number of Latinx infections again calls into question the City’s inaction with respect to its most vulnerable population.
Hospitalizations continue to be the biggest concern. Although the weekly rate of change in Covid positive patients for the week ending December 1 fell a bit, it was still extremely high and unsustainable at 42 percent. During that week DPH reports the seven-day average availability of ICU beds was 35 percent and for Acute Care beds 33 percent. DPH reports SF hospitals have 100 percent of required PPE on hand, but make no mention of staff.
No question about the direction of California’s positivity rate, though it’s likely higher than reported.
Of San Francisco’s 161 deaths (first reached on November 18), DPH says 3 had no underlying conditions (26 were “unknown”).
I’m also curious about the question on 28.5 million dollars. According to the linked story:
“Today, Breed appeared ready to remedy that disconnect in funding priorities with an initial $22.5 million for the Latinx community and a commitment to allocate a total of $28.5 million.
The new efforts will be directed to community groups and led by the Latino Parity and Equity Coalition, a group that operates under the Mission Economic Development Agency, and the Latino Task Force, a group of community leaders who organized in response to the pandemic. ”
Maybe someone should start by asking those groups if they have actually received that money yet?
In the midst of San Francisco’s biggest spike in Covid cases, the Warriors asked for, and were denied, permission to open Chase Center at half-capacity. Dubs’ owner Joe Lacob trashed publich health officials as backward and ignorant. OK Joe, you want fans? That’s not going to happen unless City case numbers fall. Why don’t you make your “rapid PCR tests” available Citywide? A popup testing site at the 24th Street BART station?
EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
-Marc Norton (Chase Center worker)