���Public Health Update for the Marin County School Community�

December 9, 2021

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Data accessed 12/9/2021, 9:00 AM

Marin County: Daily COVID-19 Cases

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Data accessed 12/8/2021

CDC Transmission Level

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Data accessed 12/8/2021

Community Transmission in the US

Marin County: Cases by Vaccination Status

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Data accessed 12/6/2021

Variant Update

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Variants in Marin County

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Data accessed 12/6/2021

Global Distribution – Omicron Variant

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BNO NEWS / NEWSNODES

Omicron: Known and Unknown

• Known:
• Rapid spread: South Africa and globally
• Highly mutated; known infectivity factors
• Common diagnostic tests able to detect cases

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• Unknown:
• Severity of illness (preliminary data suggests milder)
• Immune protection of vaccine or prior illness (preliminary data suggests some vaccine efficacy)
• Effectiveness of treatments

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Omicron Infectivity: Hints from South Africa

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Omicron Severity: Hints from South Africa

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Omicron: What steps can we take?

• Get Vaccinated or Boosted

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• Wear a Mask in Indoor Public Settings

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• Get Tested
• Seek immediate testing for symptoms including common cold, “the sniffles”, allergies, or flu regardless of vaccination status

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• Stay home if you are feeling sick

Vaccine Update

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Marin County Vaccine Goals

• By 12/15, 75% of all eligible residents 65+ will have received a booster shot.
• By 12/31, 75% of newly eligible children (5 - 11) will have received 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: Marin County

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Data accessed 12/6/2021

70 percent of residents 65 and �older have received a booster

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Data accessed 12/6/2021

62 percent of children 5-11 are vaccinated

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Data accessed 12/6/2021

• “My 11-year-old daughter was vaccinated at a county vaccination center in what used to be a Victoria Secret’s store. I’m still laughing. Life can be hilarious. Thank goodness for that.” — Lisa Anderson Shaffer, Marin County

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Pfizer Boosters for 16 and 17-year-olds�

• Approved Today (12/9)
• 6 months after 2^nd dose; No “mix and match”
• Considerations
• Lower risk for hospitalization
• More recently vaccinated
• Stronger immune response to initial series
• Case rates in this age group spiking

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Marin: Fewer Hospitalized in Recent Surges

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Wide vaccine coverage

Recent Spike in Adolescent Cases

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Mask Update

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Mask Mandate

• State Mask Mandate
• Required by all on public transit, in healthcare settings, K-12 and childcare, correctional facilities, shelters
• Required for unvaccinated persons in indoor public settings (e.g., grocery stores)
• Marin County Public Health strongly recommends vaccinated persons cover their face in indoor public settings

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Criteria for Restoring Local Mask Mandate

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• 5 persons hospitalized for COVID-19 per 100,000 residents (13 patients hospitalized in Marin County)
• Current status: 4 persons hospitalized for COVID-19
• Daily census reporting from hospitals to MCPH

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Why use hospitalization rates �and not case rates?

• Simple, easy to measure accurately, measures what we are most concerned about

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• Cases increasingly mild with high vaccination rates
• 85 percent of population is fully vaccinated

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• Case rates are based on a limited view of actual cases
• Home based testing

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Holiday Recommendations�

• Limit gatherings to fully vaccinated persons

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• Rapid antigen testing day of event

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• Gather outdoors as much as possible

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• Stay home if any symptoms

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COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate and Schools

• State mandate will follow FDA approval of vaccination for students

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• School staff mandate would be placed at the same time

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• Likely 2022-23 school year

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• Added to other required childhood vaccinations

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• Personal belief exemption

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• School districts encouraged to institute local vaccine mandates

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Top Three Ways to Protect Yourself �and our Community

• Get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible

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• Stay home and test if you’re having any symptoms, regardless of vaccine status

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• Cover your face in indoor public settings

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Surgeon General Mental Health Advisory

• “It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place..”

Dr Vivek Murthy

US Surgeon General

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School Update

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Reporting COVID Positives During Holiday Break

• Schools should have a communications plan in place with families for COVID positive cases, particularly during the first week of break
• COVIDSchools Team on duty and ready to support
• Public Health Positive Student / Staff Checklist
• Positive Case Reporting Form
• Rapidresponse@marinschools.org being monitored

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All County publications are available in alternative formats (Braille, Large Print, or CD), upon request.  Requests for accommodations may be made by calling (415) 473-2624 (Voice), CA Relay 711 or by e-mail at hhsmediateam@marincounty.org.

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Parent Responsibilities

• Students stay home when sick
• Test or 10: COVID-19 testing required for symptomatic students and staff
• Parents must report positive test results to schools
• Students who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 10 days
• Unvaccinated household contacts / social close contacts must quarantine for at least 7 days
• Follow CDC Travel Guidance

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Masking in Youth Sports

• Masks are required indoors at all times even during heavy exertion unless wearing a mask during play has been determined to pose a choking hazard by a well-recognized health authority, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• On November 24th, CDPH issued updated Section 16 (Section 16, School-Based Extracurricular Activities) of the COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California prior to the identification and designation of the variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron) as a variant of concern.
• CDPH states: When actively practicing, conditioning, or competing in indoor sports, masks are required by participants even during heavy exertion, as practicable.
• The introduction of the phrase “as practicable” allows individual districts, schools, and groups to determine what is “practicable” during heavy exertion.

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Masking in Youth Sports

• Indoor sports have been a primary source of COVID-19 outbreaks in Marin County.
• Public Health managing 5 outbreaks related to indoor basketball this week.
• If a district, school or group opts not to wear masks as recommended, they should:
• Verify vaccine status of all participants and players.
• Implement a weekly testing program for all participants and players regardless of vaccination status.  
• Communicate their masking policy with other teams / groups prior to games, events, or tournaments.
• Encourage safer socializing outdoors and/or masked, whenever possible, before and after practice, games and events (incl. carpooling)�

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School Based COVID-19 Testing

• All Marin Schools should be enrolled and onboarded in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 K-12 Schools Testing Program by Jan. 1, 2022
• Enrollment in this program is essential for maintaining access to free COVID-19 testing kits.
• MCPH | MCOE Schools Outbreak Response Test Team (SORTT) supporting schools
• Securing more home-based testing kits for students and families

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Rapid Antigen Test Distribution

• CDPH Return to School Antigen Test Program
• Every student and staff member in Marin County will be issued a Rapid Antigen Test Kit
• Will be instructed to test before returning to school
• Distribution event next week at MCOE
• Reporting results is critical to CDPH to monitor success of program

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All County publications are available in alternative formats (Braille, Large Print, or CD), upon request.  Requests for accommodations may be made by calling (415) 473-2624 (Voice), CA Relay 711 or by e-mail at hhsmediateam@marincounty.org.

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Summary

• Case rates are increasing post Thanksgiving
• Delta variant is the dominant strain
• Omicron expected to emerge soon; stick with the fundamentals
• Vaccination protects us as individuals and as a community
• Shifting toward hospitalization-based criteria for pandemic policies
• Safe schools remains a top priority
• Optimizing testing, vaccination and masking policies

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Thank you����

Questions?

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