Get Caught Up on the Latest COVID-19 Updates
Town Hall Summary
Below is a summary of the virtual Town Hall that took place on Monday, September 21. You can watch the full video by clicking the image below.
Case and Testing Updates
As of Monday, September 21, there have been 671 confirmed cases and 8 deaths from COVID-19 in Berkeley. There have been 167 cases over the last 30 days and a seven-day average of 5 cases a day. Testing capabilities continue to expand, with a seven-day average of 755 tests per day (far exceeding our goal of 245 tests per day). Since the virus emerged, 45,378 tests have been conducted on Berkeley residents. The positivity rate is 1.7%, which has slowly been decreasing over time. Sadly today, September 22, the United States surpassed 200,000 COVID-19 deaths. This grim reminder that the virus is still having a devastating impact, and we must continue to be vigilant to protect ourselves and our neighbors.
The latest data can be found on our COVID-19 dashboard. For information about testing and getting an appointment, click here.
Indicator Updates
The City uses five indicators to show the progress in containing COVID-19. These indicators are updated weekly, with the last update on September 18. For more details, go to our interactive indicator dashboard.
Indicator 1: Cases & Hospitalizations Flat or Decreasing
Current status:
Number of cases identified in Berkeley is increasing. There were 87 new cases reported in the last 14 days
Number of hospitalized patients in Alameda County has increased, with 46 fewer people hospitalized for COVID-19 than two weeks ago
Goal not currently met.
Indicator 2: Sufficient Hospital Capacity to meet community needs
Success criteria: No more than 50% of patients in staffable non-surge hospital beds in Alameda County are COVID-19 positive.
Goal currently met.
Indicator 3: Sufficient Testing Capacity
Success criteria: Sufficient COVID-19 viral detection tests are being conducted each day through private and public sites. The goal for Berkeley is 245 tests per day, giving an effective lens into the workings of the virus in our community.
Over the last two weeks, an average of 485 tests per day have been reported for Berkeley residents, no matter where they were tested -- private hospitals, labs or our City-coordinated sites.
Goal currently met.
Indicator 4: Sufficient Disease Containment (case investigation, contact tracing, and isolation/quarantine)
Success criteria:
90% of all cases are reached and contacts identified - currently at 83%
90% of cases that we reach are isolated safely -- currently at 78%
90% of all contacts identified -- currently at 84%
90% of identified cases can safely quarantine -- currently at 80%
Disease containment is a critical tool in this phase of the pandemic and reflects significantly increased staffing for contact tracing. This allows us to see how quickly we move to isolate or quarantine people -- essential tasks in limiting the spread.
Goals currently not met
Indicator 5: Sufficient Personal Protective Equipment
Success criteria:
At least 30-day supply of PPE for all health care providers - Goal Met
No hospitals, clinic, skilled nursing facility, other long term care facility, or first responder agency is struggle with obtaining PPE to submit a request for assistance - Goal Not Met
None have needed to submit a resource request for assistance in obtaining PPE to EOC in the last 14 days - Goal Not Met
Overall Goal not currently met.
Our ability to meet these indicators can signal progress or, if conditions worsen, could lead to tightening, as we have already seen happen in neighboring counties and across the State.
Explaining California’s New Tier System
In late August, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new tiered system to monitor how widespread COVID-19 is in each of California’s 58 counties known as the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. There are four tiers that represent the risk level, with tier one, the purple tier, representing widespread risk and the highest restrictions, through tier four, the yellow tier, representing minimal risk and lower restrictions. The tiers are updated every Tuesday, and if a county shows lower rates over a three week period, the county is moved down the next tier (or moved up if they show increased rates). Today (September 22), Alameda County was moved from purple to red, representing substantial risk instead of widespread risk. Alameda County is currently at 3.5 cases per 100k residents and a positivity rate of 2.5%. This change now enables Berkeley and the County to explore opening up a limited number of indoor activities. These changes will need to be updated through a revised Shelter in Place Order, which may happen within the next couple of weeks.
Other Updates
Schools are now allowed to submit waivers to local health officials to allow in-class instruction. Berkeley has received ten requests from private schools, which are currently under review. The City continues to work closely with the Berkeley Unified School District on ways to improve access to childcare, with scholarships currently available. For more info on BUSD’s response to COVID-19, click here.
The City continues outreach to our unhoused community, decompressing shelters, moving people into hotel rooms, trailers, and respite sites, and providing resources and health assessments where needed. All 69 hotel rooms available in Berkeley are now occupied. We are also coordinating with Caltrans on cleaning up areas along I-80, notably at University and Gilman, within the next 30 days.
Various outdoor activities that include high touch areas, such as playgrounds and rock climbing, are not permitted at this time. We are hopeful that if we continue to record lower case rates, we will be able to open up more activities when we move through the tiers.
The “Mask On to Move On” poster campaign has launched. Posters are available in a variety of locations, including Safeway, Andronicos, Berkeley Bowl, Mi Tierra, Monterey Market, Star Market, Truitt & White, Ashby Lumber, and City Hall (2180 Milvia St) with more to come.
Next Town Hall on Monday, October 5
Join Mayor Jesse Arreguín, City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley, and Berkeley Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez for a Virtual Town Hall where they will provide updates on the city’s response to COVID-19 and answer your questions.
What: Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19
When: Monday, October 5, 6pm
Watch live at jessearreguin.com
Ask your questions by October 5 at 3pm at jessearreguin.com