Healthy Davis Together reports two more Omicron cases

Testing by Healthy Davis Together has detected two more cases of the Omicron variant in Yolo County.

The variant was identified in two positive samples collected during the week of Dec. 5-11, according to HDT data, bringing to three the total number of Omicron cases identified locally.

Another 71 positive samples collected that week and sequenced by the UC Davis Genome Center were caused by the Delta variant.

The 73 total positive tests collected by Healthy Davis Together in Yolo County marked a decline from the 114 the week before, but total asymptomatic tests performed at the genome center also declined from 44,699 tests the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 to 32,515 tests the week of Dec. 5-11.

A total of 39 Omicron cases had been identified in California as of Monday, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The variant is on its way to becoming dominant in parts of Europe as it has in South Africa, though questions remain about the severity of illness it may cause as well as how well vaccines will protect against it.

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Yolo County’s COVID-19 case rate increased over the last week from 8.4 cases per day per 100,000 residents a week ago to 13 as of Tuesday.

The case rate among vaccinated residents is 5.9 and among unvaccinated residents is 25, according to county data. Two people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Yolo County on Tuesday, both of them vaccinated.

Since Thanksgiving, the city of Davis has seen 89 new cases of COVID-19; Woodland has reported 100; West Sacramento has experienced 175; Winters 35; and the unincorporated areas have seen 86.

Winters has had the highest case rate in the county over the last two weeks, followed by West Sacramento. Both cities have a lower percentage of vaccinated residents than Woodland and Davis. The city of Davis has the lowest case rate over the last 14 days and is the county’s most vaccinated city.

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Yolo County has COVID-19 vaccine clinics scheduled for Woodland and West Sacramento this week.

On Thursday, Dec. 16, a clinic will be held by appointment only at the Health and Human Services Agency building located at 137 N Cottonwood St., from 5 to 7 p.m. To make an appointment, visit myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255.

A large clinic will be held on Friday at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento from 2 to 9 p.m. All vaccine doses — including pediatric and booster — will be available. Appointments are recommended but not required and volunteers are still needed to assist. To volunteer, visit http://yolopodclasses.org for a training and sign up.

On Sunday, the county will host a pediatric Pfizer first and second dose clinic at Lenise’s Cafe, 3150 Jefferson Blvd. This clinic is for walk-ins only.

The county will not be holding vaccine clinics during the last two weeks of December and will resume in January.

In addition to clinics, Yolo County continues to offer its Door Vax program, providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations for residents. County staff will deliver and administer first doses of the vaccine to residents 12 and up as well as booster shots to those ages 65 and up, homebound or with special needs.

Call to schedule a home vaccination Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For English, call 530-902-3230; for Spanish, call 530-379-3465; and for Russian, call 530-908-0721.

As of Dec. 6, 69.8 percent of Yolo County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 63.1 percent are fully vaccinated. Boosters have been administered to 27.5 percent of fully vaccinated adults.

— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.