Hybrid Council Meetings, COVID-19 Treatments, and other COVID-19 Updates

 
 

Summary of Current Situation

As of Sunday, May 8th, there have been 15,141 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Over the last 30 days, there were 1,547 cases, and we are currently averaging 58 cases over the last seven days. The case rate, which is based on last week’s numbers, is 47.60 cases per 100,000 residents per day. 62 Berkeley residents have died from COVID-19, with six deaths recorded so far in 2022, the latest one occurring on March 2. 93% of Berkeley residents are fully vaccinated, with 85% of people who are vaccinated haven gotten at least one booster. Additional data can be found on the City's COVID-19 dashboard.

The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron has swept across the Bay Area, which has caused the second largest surge to date, surpassing the winter 2021 surge but still dwarfed by the 2022 winter surge. Fortunately, due to high vaccination rates and available treatments, hospitalizations and deaths have so far remained the lowest out of the five surges. Data shows hospitalizations are increasing throughout the county, and are expected to continue rising over the next couple of weeks, but not to the point where healthcare systems are overly strained.

The latest surge shows that even as we transition to an endemic, new variants and subvariants remain a threat. One such subvariant, BA.2.12.1, is beginning to make its presence known throughout the country, accounting for 37% of cases and rising (BA.2 accounts for 62% of cases and declining). Keeping up to date on vaccinations and continuing to wear masks in indoor public settings remains vital to slowing the spread.

Hybrid City Council Meetings Begin on May 10th

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday May 10th, the City Council will transition to hybrid meetings in the BUSD Board Room at 1231 Addison Street and with the meeting room open to the public to participate in Council meetings. After over two years of exclusively virtual meetings, the City is

expanding options for people to participate in our city process. Those still wishing to participate via Zoom or phone can still do so. Those who attend in-person must be masked and show proof of vaccination or a recently verified negative COVID-19 test.

The new hybrid format increases public participation and interaction with the City Council in an environment with strong COVID-19 protections.

For details on how and when to comment, see our Participating in City Council Meetings page. Those participating remotely will see little difference from the virtual meetings the Council has held since March 2020.

You can also watch or listen to meetings in formats that don’t allow for public comment, such as:

For a list of upcoming Council meetings, visit the City Council Agendas page.

Treatment Options Now Widely Available

The Biden Administration has taken steps to significantly increase the availability of treatments people can take if they test positive for COVID-19. One of the main drugs, Pfizer’s Paxlocid, has been shown through studies to reduce hospitalization or death by about 90% when taken within three to five days of the start of symptoms.

Medications to treat COVID-19 must be prescribed by your healthcare provider and must start as soon as possible from diagnosis for maximum effectiveness. For more information on what treatments may be available for you, visit the CDC’s COVID-19 Treatments and Medications page.

Jesse Arreguin