COVID-19 Status Update for 12/23/2022

Marin County COVID-19 Status Update for December 23, 2022 includes: Rise of New Variant, Holiday Gatherings; Staying Active; Know Your Community Transmission Level, and updated local COVID-19 data.

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The Marin County COVID-19 Status Update is published weekly and as needed to share important news and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. We remain here for you.

Rise of a New Variant

The unpredictability of new COVID-19 variants in our community continues. The most recent local samples show a jump in the prevalence of XBB.1, an emerging variant related to Omicron. While it’s too early to know if this is the new dominant variant locally, of the last eight Marin samples reported, all were XBB.1. This variant is more common in the Northeast and may be associated with the rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations among seniors in that region. The bivalent booster appears to be affective against the XBB variant. Marin residents who have not obtained the new booster are twice as likely to be hospitalized with COVID. Only half of those over age 50 in Marin have the protection of the new booster.

Enjoy Gatherings this Holiday Weekend

Marin County Public Health wishes you and yours a happy and safe holiday. This year’s gatherings will be especially sweet because many of us are celebrating with family and friends we haven’t been with for a long time. At the same time, winter respiratory viruses are circulating. Thankfully, we have a toolkit to help keep us safe together.

Get vaccinated: An updated COVID-19 and flu shot is the best way to stay healthy with the circulating viruses.
Get tested: Before joining a gathering, test for COVID 19, and test right away if you get symptoms.
Wear a mask: Masks decrease the spread of respiratory viruses and are strongly recommended in indoor public settings.
Stay home if sick: Take care of yourself and your loved ones by staying home if you’re feeling symptoms.
Ventilate your space: Good air flow, with windows and doors cracked, helps keep air fresh and prevent respiratory infections.

Find vaccination opportunities in Marin by visiting our Vaccine Finder page. COVID-19 testing resources are available at our Testing page.

Staying Active Protects Against COVID

Rates of regular exercise are comparatively high among Marin County residents. A recent study suggests that this is an important protective factor for us as a community through the pandemic. The study, which included nearly 200,000 people, found a direct relationship between levels of daily physical activity prior to infection and risk of hospitalization and death within 90 days after infection. This study adds yet another piece of evidence to the universal benefits of remaining active and is well timed as we consider our New Year’s resolutions.

Know your COVID-19 Community Level

The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels are a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in Marin or other community in which you live, work or visit.

Location	Todays’ COVID-19 Community Level:	Suggested Prevention Steps:
Marin County	MEDIUM	Stay up to date on vaccination, including recommended booster doses. Maintain ventilation improvements. Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) when indoors in public If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them. If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions.

People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.

COVID-19 Data Update:

Below is just a snapshot of local COVID-19 data. Find a more in-depth analysis of COVID-19 trends on the Marin Data & Surveillance webpage, our Data FAQ, or Marin County's Open Data Portal.

Data sets updated weekly (published on Fridays) include:

COVID-19 vaccination rates
COVID-19 cases & deaths among facility staff and residents
Weekly/Cumulative count of COVID-19 deaths among Marin residents
State COVID-19 Data

Status updates are now published weekly on Fridays. “Change from Last Status Update” accounts for 7 days of data, unless noted otherwise (view past status updates).

COVID-19 Case Data	Today’s Report	Change from Last Status Update on 12/16/2022
Total Confirmed Cumulative Cases	43,681	+ 181
“Active Cases” (Confirmed in Past 14 Days)	273	- 55
Total Cumulative Deaths	273	+ 2*
Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations	31	+ 16
Current COVID-19 ICU Patient Census	2	+ 0

* Change from last Friday.

COVID-19 Vaccination Data	Today’s Report	Change from Last Week
Percent of Marin residents vaccinated with at least one dose	98%**	N/A**
Percent of Marin population who have completed vaccine series.	93.2%*	+ 0.1%
Percent of Marin residents who have received a Booster/3rd Dose	69.2%*	+ 0.1%

* * As population estimates may not be precise, the proportion of vaccinated people in any group will be displayed up to, but not higher than 98%. 

* Note that this percentage is out of all Marin residents including children younger than 6 months.

Residential Care & Skilled Nursing Facility COVID-19 data:	Today’s Report	Change from Last Week
Positive Patients at Facilities cumulative	2,434	+ 39
Positive Patients at Facilities current	47	- 46
Positive Staff at Facilities current	12	- 21
Facility Patient Deaths	172	+ 0
Facility Patient Deaths as percentage of all COVID+ deaths	63.5%	+ 0.0%

State COVID-19 data:	Today’s Report	Change from Last Week
California Confirmed Cases	10,834,839	+ 44,647
California Deaths	97,428	+ 229

Resource Link Library

What to do if...

You’ve tested Positive | You’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19

Online Resources

Stay Informed

COVID-19 Status Update for 01/20/2023