COVID-19 Local Situation

Note: This webpage is no longer current and is for historical purposes only. 

See  www.sandiegocounty.gov/respiratoryviruses for the latest information.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019.

  • The first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed on January 20, 2020.
  • San Diego County proclaimed a Local Emergency and declared a Local Health Emergency on February 14, 2020.
  • The State of California officially declared a State of Emergency on March 4, 2020.
  • The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.

The purpose of this page is to provide key documents and a general history of the County’s response efforts in mitigating COVID-19, including:

Test, Trace, Treat (T3)

The purpose of the T3 Strategy was to ultimately protect the public's health from COVID-19 and provide support for those affected by the disease. The County of San Diego provided free testing, case investigation and contact tracing, as well as treatment and therapeutics for those who were potential or known COVID positive patients.

Results for all COVID-19 tests performed in the region were required to be reported to the County of San Diego. If you tested positive for COVID-19, a case investigator from the County called you to learn more about your specific situation and ask you about recent activities and who you may have had recent contact with.

After speaking with you, the case investigator had contact tracers call the people you identified as close contacts to let them know they may have been exposed.

If you received a call from a contact tracer, you were identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The contract tracer explained precautions you should take as someone who was potentially exposed and review COVID-19 symptoms with you.

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Vaccinations

Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group

The County of San Diego's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group brought together local and community clinical partners to provide guidance using a phased approach for vaccine distribution and provide recommendations using a health equity lens when vaccine supply is limited. The overall objective was to determine COVID-19 vaccine allocation within phases during limited vaccine supply in a fair, equitable manner using a deliberative process through discussion, evidenced-based medicine, and resources provided from the County, State, and Nationally.

Vaccination Phases

Phase 1A - as of December 14, 2020

  • Staff working in acute care, psychiatric, and correctional facility hospitals
  • Staff working in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and similar settings
    • Includes residents in these long-term care settings
  • Paramedics, EMTs, and other staff providing emergency medical services
  • Staff working in dialysis centers
  • Staff working in behavioral health residential facilities
    • Includes residents in these behavioral health residential facilities
  • Vaccinators
  • Staff providing intermediate care, for persons who need non-continuous nursing supervision, and supportive care
  • Staff providing in-home healthcare and in-home supportive services
  • Community health workers, including promotores
  • Public Health field staff
  • Staff working in primary care clinics
  • Staff working in Federally Qualified Health Centers
  • Staff working in Rural Health Centers
  • Staff working in correctional facility clinics
  • Staff working in urgent care clinics
  • Staff working in behavioral health non-residential or outpatient facilities
    • Including residents in behavioral health non-residential or outpatient facilities
  • Other settings and healthcare personnel, including:
    • Specialty clinics, laboratory workers, dental/oral health clinics, pharmacy staff, and funeral workers, massage therapists, and others.
  • Couriers for vaccines and emergency supplies

Phase 1B

  • Persons aged 75 years and older - as of January 18, 2021
  • Persons 65-74 years of age - as of January 23, 2021
  • Persons at risk of occupational exposure through their work in the following sectors - as of February 27, 2021:
    • Emergency Services (includes emergency operations and disaster service workers, fire, law enforcement, social workers, and utility workers)
    • Childcare and Education
    • Food and Agriculture 

Additional Groups - as of February 27, 2021

  • Janitors

Phase 1C

Those with High-Risk Medical Conditions and Disabilities

  • People ages 16-64 deemed to be at the very highest risk to get very sick from COVID-19 OR if, as a result of a developmental or other significant, high-risk disability, one or more of the following criteria applies:
    •  A COVID-19 infection is likely to result in severe life-threatening illness or death; OR
    • Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival; OR
    • Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability.

Additional Groups

  • Congregate residential settings, such as an incarceratio­n/detention facilities, homeless shelters, or behavioral health facilities
    • Includes people experiencing homelessness, who may transition into congregate settings at short notice­­­
  • Public transit workers, including airport workers for commercial airlines (but not private airplanes)

Phase 2 

  • General population 50 years of age and older - as of April 1, 2021
  • General population 16 years of age and older - as of April 15, 2021
  • U.S. citizens living in Baja California - as of May 6, 2021
  • General population 12 years of age and older - as of May 13, 2021

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Project SAVE

Project SAVE (Scheduling Assistance for Vaccine Equity) assisted those facing technology, language, or other healthcare barriers. Working in partnership with local government entities and trusted partners, Project SAVE Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Promotores facilitated access to vaccine appointments and provided referrals to no-appointment vaccination events.

Project SAVE promoted vaccination events online and provided resources at in-person community events, such as swap meets, grocery stores, and schools. Project SAVE provided outreach and education to address vaccine hesitancy in a culturally and linguistically relevant manner. By bringing shared backgrounds, experiences, language, and culture to the communities they serve, CHWs and Promotores served as integral partners to reach those outside traditional channels of communication.

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Safe Reopening

California fully reopened the economy on June 15, 2021. Businesses and activities were able to operate normally, except for "Mega Events." Face coverings continued to be required in some settings.

On April 1, 2022, requirements for vaccine verification or proof of negative test for Indoor Mega Events were lifted and moved to a strong recommendation.

Enforcement Criteria

The County developed enforcement criteria to ensure fair and consistent application of enforcement actions for safe re-opening.

  • The compliance team utilized the State and local health orders, as well as the respective industry specific requirements, to evaluate if an operation is in compliance.
  • Team members notified the business or entity of what they saw that appears not in compliance with the health order or their Safe Reopening Plan (SRP).
  • Compliance field investigators met with the businesses or entities to explore opportunities to modify operations to comply with the health order, gain additional information regarding the operation, and answer questions about the process.
  • If the business or entity was found to be out of compliance, they were provided the opportunity to voluntarily come into compliance.
  • When a violation continued, escalated enforcement was taken in the form of a cease-and-desist order, or additional law enforcement actions. 
  • Enforcement was based on compliance with the respective business sector requirements, not based on the size of a company or ownership. 

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After Actions

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Contact the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499, or send an e-mail, for more information.