Halloween was a success this year; on my street anyway. We had more Trick or Treaters than we have had for at least five years. Tonight we turn back the clocks--yet another pointless changing of our bio-rhythms. The grocery stores are full up with turkeys and in-boxes are filling with "early Black Friday deals". Talk about unclear on the concept. So let's use this past week as our Covid baseline for tracking purposes as the holiday gatherings accelerate and the boosters come available to those who will avail themselves.
Here's the data from San Mateo County for this week:
91.7% of the County over age 16 is vaccinated. Up another 0.4% from last week.
Total Cases: 53,201 +349 in the County for the week. The new positives have been running about +350 for weeks.
Positivity: 1.0% This gauge is flat again and with a mandate for weekly testing of those who refuse vax, it will likely stay very low as the denominator increases.
Burlingame Cases: 1,631 Up by 13 from last week. Cases in the last 30 days up a little to 60.
Even with some office workers being required to show up in the office and families thinking it's time to act like families again, the foundation of a safe holiday season seems like it is in place in San Mateo County. Let's hope so. Here is a chart from the Daily Post that shows the variation in death rates by county in the Bay Area--a 22.9% swing is huge and somewhat unexplained to date.
I came across this after making the original post this morning. Not sure what to make of it since the SM County numbers don't show anything worrisome:
As of Tuesday this week, the entire Bay Area returned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s orange “substantial” and red “high” categories of coronavirus transmission.
Truth is, case rates haven’t changed dramatically in recent weeks. Since the beginning of October, several Bay Area counties — including most recently Marin and San Francisco — have bounced between the “moderate,” “substantial” and “high” levels, with case rates zig-zagging across the lines separating the CDC’s official risk levels.
Across the Bay Area and California, cases have been relatively steady since September, data from the state show.
Now, the efficacy of vaccines is showing signs of wearing off for people who got the earliest shots. Many of them are being encouraged to get boosters.
But booster uptake hasn’t been quick, even among eligible populations — which could affect how much of an impact they have on case rates, especially as the holidays approach.
“Our concerns are that uptake hasn’t been matching what we feel is the concern around waning immunity and potential resurgence of COVID in the winter,” said Dr. Naveena Bobba, San Francisco’s deputy health officer.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Here-s-how-the-Bay-Area-landed-back-in-the-red-16597095.php
Posted by: Joe | November 06, 2021 at 05:37 PM
I trust our local authorities more than the CDC. It is pretty certain that Fauci should be indicted for several crimes and lying about them.
Posted by: Mom | November 06, 2021 at 09:22 PM
Heard one TV anchor mention off-hand a “fourth booster shot”?
Somebody’s making big bucks.
Posted by: Cassandra | November 07, 2021 at 07:14 AM
To your point…
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The state quietly renewed a $1.7 billion COVID testing contract with a lab once promised to be a game-changer during the pandemic but has since been plagued with problems over the past year.
Posted by: Peter Garrison | November 07, 2021 at 07:17 AM
Headlines about surges aside, the week was very quiet Covid-wise in San Mateo county. All of the trends continue along as shown:
92.1% of the County over age 16 is vaccinated. Up another 0.4% from last week.
Total Cases: 53,577 +376 in the County for the week. The new positives have been running about +350 for weeks.
Positivity: 1.1% Back up 0.1%.
Burlingame Cases: 1,640 Up by 9 from last week. Cases in the last 30 days 56. The running average in town is about 14 per week.
I have added a fatality count chart from the Daily Post that shows SM County's performance.
Posted by: Joe | November 13, 2021 at 01:15 PM
Dear Cassandra,
The people making "Big Bucks" are Health Insurance Corporations, Mortuary/Cemeteries, and the Media.
Posted by: [email protected] | November 13, 2021 at 09:08 PM
If you are wondering about being able to take the mask off in public places, here are the things that need to happen before the County will lift the mandate: https://www.smchealth.org/data-dashboard/criteria-lifting-indoor-mask-mandate
The news out of Europe of surges and lockdowns seems very far away given we had another very quiet week:
91.9% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. The County changed the metric from age 16+ to 12+ this week and the percentage only dropped 0.2%
Total Cases: 53,822 +305 in the County for the week--the lowest in some time.
Positivity: 1.1% - flat.
Burlingame Cases: 1,649 Up by 9 again from last week. Cases in the last 30 days dropped to 51. A reminder, we have 30,000+ people in town.
Posted by: Joe | November 20, 2021 at 01:23 PM
It was another very quiet Covid week in the County as the world's attention swings from Delta to Omicron....
92.1% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. Up 0.2%.
Total Cases: 54,140 +318 in the County for the week--running at the same pace for quite a while
Positivity: 1.1% - flat again.
Burlingame Cases: 1,659 Up by 10 from last week--so flat. Cases in the last 30 days dropped to 49.
Posted by: Joe | November 27, 2021 at 10:31 AM
Those that know, already know. Those that don't, don't want to. But the Kennedy book about Fauci is a pretty good read and cheap on Kindle.
Posted by: MBGA | November 28, 2021 at 06:29 PM
More Americans have died of the virus in 2021 than in all of 2020.
“Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as President of the United States of America.” Joe Biden during the campaign.
Well?
Posted by: Phinancier | November 28, 2021 at 06:50 PM
It was Omicron, Omicron, Omicron all week as if Delta just sort of vanished which, of course, it hasn't. Yet here in San Mateo County and in B'game, things are much the same.
92.5% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. Up 0.4%.
Total Cases: 54,549 +409 in the County for the week--a 20-30% uptick from the run rate of recent weeks.
Positivity: 1.2% - tiny .1% uptick
Burlingame Cases: 1,670 Up by 11 from last week--so basically flat. Cases in the last 30 days dropped again, by 10 to 39.
Posted by: Joe | December 04, 2021 at 01:05 PM
There is now a travel ban on for seven African countries and a couple have no omicron then the Remain in Mexico program is back on. Where is the outrage?
Posted by: Phinancier | December 05, 2021 at 02:02 PM
Phin, don't worry about that stuff, that's just temporary because:
Diversity is our strength
And remember, Vaccines are Safe and Effective(tm).
Posted by: MBGA | December 06, 2021 at 05:21 AM
It was Omicron again all week with a bit of old Delta making the news. Yet here in San Mateo County and in B'game, things are pretty stable reflecting only a slight uptick two weeks after Thanksgiving.
93.0% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. Up 0.5%.
Total Cases: 55,058 +509 in the County for the week--another 25% uptick from last week's cases, but still in a population of 760K it's small.
Positivity: 1.2% - flat
Burlingame Cases: 1,694 Up by 24 from last week--more than double the prior week. Cases in the last 30 days bounced up to 56 due to this week's increase.
There is still no County data on the percentage of breakthrough cases. That would seem like a critical figure for influencing public behavior......
Posted by: Joe | December 11, 2021 at 12:22 PM
Putting in perspective. https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/california-cause-of-death-by-age-and-gender
Guess what the name of next weeks BS virus will be? Does anyone know where I can find the list of the 3.8 trillion viruses every human carries inside?
Posted by: Padwrd | December 12, 2021 at 11:10 AM
Happy Saturday! It was a third week of omicron, omicron.....and yet the numbers still aren't showing the increased transmissibility that we keep reading about.
93.5% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. Up 0.5% again.
Total Cases: 55,058 +454 in the County for the week--a smaller number than last week by 10%.
Positivity: 1.3% - up 0.1%
Burlingame Cases: 1,711 Up by 17 from last week--also lower than the prior week. Cases in the last 30 days are 64.
I was out and about last night in B'game. The Hyatt had some event and was packed. Broadway was also very busy--nearly full parking lots at the Post Office and Chase bank. People seem more comfortable than the headlines would indicate.
Posted by: Joe | December 18, 2021 at 12:36 PM
It was great to see you an the former First Lady of Burlingame your Loverly wife 0n Friday night.I am happy with your number 4 ranking an always enjoy being the unofficial Prime Minister an social director of Burlingame.Merry Christmas to all the bloggers an a very happy an prosperous New Year.
Posted by: Sir Paul | December 19, 2021 at 03:15 PM
Sir Paul - What do you have against the letter d?
Posted by: Paloma Ave | December 19, 2021 at 04:06 PM
Paloma Ave ,People to me that blog under an alias commit an act of cowardice so I can’t respond to your D comment sorry.
Posted by: Sir Paul | December 19, 2021 at 04:33 PM
Thank you, Sir Paul. It was nice to see you out and about as well. Let's just say you are the official "Prime Minister". I think Paloma was just being funny an_ _i_n't realize Kiwi's have a _ifferent key_boar_. :-)
Posted by: Joe | December 20, 2021 at 07:22 PM
Sir Paul - Okay Mr. Prendeville, but you are not as well known as you think you are.
Posted by: Paloma Ave | December 23, 2021 at 02:54 PM
Merry Christmas everyone. There is concern about gathering for Christmas and it's reasonable to be concerned as this week's data show. This reporting maybe one day shy of the full week due to the holiday.
94.0% of the County over age 12 is vaccinated. Up 0.5% yet again.
Total Cases: 56,864 +1806 in the County for the week--FOUR times last week's increase.
Positivity: 1.9% - up 0.6%
Burlingame Cases: 1,789 Up by 78 from last week--Four and a half times greater than the prior week. Cases in the last 30 days double because of that--128.
Be careful out there......
Posted by: Joe | December 25, 2021 at 12:30 PM
How is it that Burlingame Citizens/Homeowners/Business Operators, most likely College Educated (of course the Wife comes from a Wealthy Family-Down Payment/Private School) not realize the importance of Vaccinations.
Not just for themselves, but others?
The COB's southern neighbors have an extremely high amount of "Illegals," and people who are afraid to ask for help until it is Dire.
Percentages have very little to do with what is happening "on the ground."
Those numbers and infection rates can change in a matter of hours.
Check out the Bruce Dickenson Documentary. I have never been a fan of Iron Maiden, but BD is a very interesting man. It is worth a watch just to be able to reconsider who the people are you pass every day. Wave to.
Do you know that BD did a concert in Sarajevo during the Serb/Bosnian War? I bet at least 70% of the members on the Burlingame Voice have no idea about that Horrible Time.
Posted by: [email protected] | December 26, 2021 at 07:05 PM
Easy on the egg nog.
Posted by: resident | December 26, 2021 at 08:38 PM
Holy - You don't really think THAT BD is our BD, do you?
Resident - Perfect low key response!
Posted by: Paloma Ave | December 26, 2021 at 09:07 PM