CoViD-19 & CA Wildfire Updates | County Below 200 New Cases | 625 Fires Rage On In California | Sea World Lays Out "Zoo Days" Reopening Plan

Strawberry's pose when she's on balcony lookout (Taken 8.19.2020)

Darren and I had a late Sunday night in the speakeasy and when we were finally coming back upstairs, I dropped my laptop. Today it won't turn on and so needless to say I'm kinda freaking out about it. I'm using my old one in the meantime, but it has a really hard time typing the letter V, needs a new battery and powercord, which I guess I should've taken care of when I wasn't desperate for a backup. Hopefully Davey can take a look at it on Tuesday and assure me that i didn't destroy it. Nova didn't go to soccer because she had her mandatory online school orientation, which means we haven't been to La Jolla Cove since last Monday. I'm currently bingeing the second season of Trinkets on Netflix, a show I'd completely forgotten I'd watched before. I don't really have anything going on at all this week, but hopefully it cools down and we can do a couple trips to the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park or some fun stuff before Nova's days become filled with school stuff again. Monday's briefing notes and some reading are after the jump. 

  

• State of California Governor Newsom Media Briefing  
• Wildfires
• 7,002 fires/1.4 million acres burned to date in 2020 (56k acres had burned by the same date in 2019)
• Currently 625 fires burning in the state
• State has deployed all possible resources and continues to seek more
• President declared a state of emergency
• Evacuations: majority are in non-congregate setting, but ones that are have mask requirements, social distancing, tents for separation (not just open cots), air purifiers. 2000+ evacuees currently in CA 
• California COVID-19 Stats:
• 5,798 7-day average new daily cases
• 4,946 New Cases/663,669 Total Cases (0.7% increase)
• 18 New Deaths/12,152 Total Deaths (0.1% increase)
• 6.5% 14-day test positivity rate/5.6% 7-day positivity rate
• 20% decrease in hospitalizations 
• 19% decrease in ICU
• 35 counties still on monitor list (down from 42 last week)
• Business guidelines for counties off monitor list will be out this week
• California Department of Education guidelines for safety should dictate if schools open after 14 days off monitor list 
• AB5 additional exemptions will likely be added by legislature (session ends this week, but don't expect any exemptions for rideshare)
• Guidelines require 14 days after coming off monitor list for schools, but additional sectors will be longer, therefore there are no actual "delays" for businesses as no counties meet that criteria yet
• San Diego County Media Briefing
• COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO COVID-19 STATS:
• State Data:
• 3,793 New Cases (Last 14 Days)/36,542 Total Cases
• 66 Deaths (Last 14 Days)/660 Total Deaths
• 112.5 cases/100k population 
• 4.6% Test Positivity (Last 14 Days)
• County Data:
• 187 New Cases/36,727 Total Cases (equivalent to number of seats at Petco Park excluding suites)
• 0 New Daily Deaths/660 Total Deaths
• 81.7 cases (80.3 State Reporting)/100k population 
• 3% Daily Test Positivity/3.5% Test Positivity (14-day average)
• Case Investigation is 96%
• 5 New/20 Community Outbreaks (7-day)/64 Active Outbreaks
• 14 deaths associated with Community outbreaks
• 2,989 COVID patients have been hospitalized to date (majority are 50 and over)
• Great Plates has expanded for seniors and persons with disabilities APPLY HERE or call Aging & Independence Services Call Center 1-800-339-4661 select option "7"
• Even with new guidelines forthcoming, County will move slowly and cautiously on reopening so we're not on-again/off-again with regard to monitor list
• September 1st will mark 14th day off monitor list when schools may reopen but County will cautiously monitor and lay out testing and protocols
• Scripps Health CEO 
• Clinics and hospitals are open and safe
• Delaying care can be dangerous
• When business restrictions eased, we saw spikes in cases and deaths
• Any reopenings need to be slow and deliberate
• Health care workers have been attacked by people for being asked to wear masks in health facilities
• Health care workers are overworked, tired, exhausted, and being gaslit that they're overreacting to the pandemic
• Frustrating to see churches choosing to gather indoors when they're the only entity that can gather in unlimited numbers outdoor by public health order
• Reopenings will be tiered, but specifics are still unknown
• COVID-19:
• Please don’t go to a movie theater: “It’s just about the last thing I’d do right now,” says expert - AV Club (8.18.2020)
• RNC caves to hate groups in attack against the SPLC - SPLC (8.24.2020)
  This past weekend, the Republican National Committee caved to white supremacist and other hate groups by adopting a resolution titled Refuting the Legitimacy of the Southern Poverty Law Center to Identify Hate Groups.
  The focus of the resolution is that “the SPLC is a radical organization” that harms conservative organizations and voices through our hate group designations.
• First Covid-19 reinfection documented in Hong Kong, researchers say - STAT News (8.24.2020)
• What to Know Before Sending Your Kids Back to School Online - Wired (8.24.2020)
• Sea Wold San Diego is reopening this week under Zoo guidelines, which means only open-air enclosures will be open. Tickets are $74.99 and are reservation only. Details are below. Buy Tickets Here.  

Sea World Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ & Brews

All guests including Pass Members and Fun Card Holders require a ticket-based reservation to attend SeaWorld during Zoo Days.

With enhanced health and safety measures, we welcome you to roam the park’s beautiful outdoor grounds, enjoy amazing animal exhibits and presentations, and savor a limited-time food and beverage experience that includes all new BBQ and beer-infused menus paired with San Diego’s BEST craft brews!

Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ & Brews, is a ticketed and reservation-required experience that provides you with the opportunity to not only delight your taste buds with an exciting variety of refreshing craft brews and mouthwatering BBQ, but also to explore outdoor animal exhibits and fan-favorite marine life animal presentations, with physical distancing measures in place.

This limited-time experience includes access to 40 acres of SeaWorld's expansive outdoor park grounds and:

• A Bayside BBQ & Brews Tasting Lanyard valid for chef-created BBQ, craft and domestic beer, wine, cocktails or non-alcoholic beverages of your choice (up to 6 selections per lanyard)
• Access to Open-air Animal Exhibits such as Sea Lion Point, Otter Outlook, Dolphin Point and Explorer’s Reef Touch Pools
• Animal Presentations such as Dolphin, Sea Lion and the educational Orca Encounter, with physically distant seating
• Sesame Street® Character Meet-and-Greets - Wave hello and take photos with your favorite furry friends!

Space is limited