County Sees Jump in COVID, Flu Cases As Officials Urge People to Be Vaccinated Ahead of Holidays

COVID-19 and flu numbers are on the rise, according to San Diego County public health officials, who urge residents to seek vaccines for both ailments ahead of Thanksgiving and the celebrations to follow.

Both vaccines are widely available across the region and can be administered during the same visit. It’s important to note that the flu vaccine does not protect people against COVID and the COVID vaccine or booster does not protect against the flu, county officials said. Therefore, it is recommended, they said, that eligible San Diegans be vaccinated against both viruses.

The county compiled cases numbers for COVID for the week-long period ending Monday, and for influenza, for the period that ended Saturday.

Officials received reports of 2,016 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the region’s total since early 2020 to 933,270. The new case count reflects an increase of more than 300 from the previous week, ending on Oct. 31.

The county also logged 12 more COVID deaths, dating back to Sept. 1, with the region’s total rising to 5,543. None of the newly reported deaths occurred in the last two weeks.

On the flu front, the county reported no additional deaths – the total so far for the season is two – but 1,732 more cases were confirmed by labs, up from 1,201 the prior week.

Nine percent of all emergency room visits last week were for influenza-like illness, up from 7% for the previous seven days.