COVID-19 update: New Tulare County infections continue slowing, but omicron looms

James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta
·3 min read

Tulare County saw fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 infections for the third week in a row, a sign that the Delta-variant fueled wave has finally subsided.

In the Tulare County Health and Human Service Agency's weekly COVID-19 report released Wednesday, 528 new infections were recorded for the week ending on Nov. 30. The previous week the county had 522 new COVID-19 infections. The county had been averaging more than 1,000 new infections a week since early August.

But as the Delta-variant has shown signs of subsiding, the first known case of the omicron variant has been detected in the U.S. and California. The California and San Francisco departments of public health confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 found in an individual in the city was caused by omicron.

Dr. Grant Colfax, director of San Francisco's Department of Public Health, said at a news conference that the infected person had mild symptoms and has recovered. The individual had the full Moderna vaccine regimen but not the booster shot, he said. Close contacts have been notified and tested negative so far.

The severity of illness omicron causes and its ability to elude vaccine-induced protection remain unknown, but Colfax said the experts he has consulted believe vaccination remains a critical element of the fight against the variant.

"So our message is the same as it was yesterday,'' he said. "To best protect against this variant, get vaccinated for goodness sakes if you have not been vaccinated. Get your booster if you're eligible. Continue to wear those masks inside where required.''

The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency echoed those statements.

"We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants," HHSA posted on its Facebook page.

Local health officials said people should:

  • Get vaccinated and boosted

  • Wear your mask in indoor settings

  • Get tested if you have symptoms

  • Stay home if you are sick

In Tulare County, 48% of people living in Tulare County are fully vaccinated as of Nov. 29.

Tulare County has administered more than 504,434 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of Nov. 29, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. That's up 1.1% from the previous week's tally of 498,947 COVID-19 doses administered.

Health officials have previously told the Times-Delta/Advance-Register about 90% of COVID-19 deaths were in unvaccinated people.

Sadly, HHSA also reported 14 new COVID-19-related deaths for the week ending on Nov. 30, down from the near-record 38 deaths the prior week. Since August, the county's weekly COVID-19 death toll has hovered around 20.

November's 117-person COVID-19 related death toll marks the third-highest month in fatalities since the pandemic started in March 2020. During the height of the deadly winter surge, monthly death tolls were 192 in January and 163 in February.

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, 69,823 Tulare County residents have been infected with COVID-19, and 1,092 people have died from complications of the virus. The death rate in Tulare County is 1.5 per 100 infections. That means for every 200 infections, three people have died in the county.

James Ward covers entertainment, news, sports and lifestyles for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow him on Twitter. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: COVID-19 update: New Tulare County infections continue slowing