Marin officials on Tuesday announced they were relaxing COVID-19 limits on attendance at large indoor school gatherings, assemblies and sporting events, effective immediately.
Dr. Matt Willis, Marin public health officer, said in appearances before the county Board of Supervisors and a webinar for school staff on Tuesday that the previous 50-person limit on indoor spectators at school sporting events has been dropped. Outdoor events attendance is still not set at any maximum number, he said.
“There is no longer any limit on numbers of who can attend, indoors or outdoors,” Willis said.
For 500 or more people, schools must follow the state’s guidance for mega-events, which requires proof of full vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test.
Masks are still required at all indoor events. But Willis said the county was easing the prior “recommended” guidance on masking at outdoor gatherings to “consider it” if situations warrant. The new guidance follows a trend to give more responsibility on risk-taking to individuals rather than relying on mandates from outside entities.
According to the new guidance, school staff, students and parents should “consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.” The county is recommending the use of N95 or KN95 masks, or double-masking with cloth and paper surgical masks.
The new guidance updates three points on Marin’s 32-point school site safety protection plans, said Mary Jane Burke, Marin superintendent of schools.
The surge linked to the omicron variant is on the downswing in Marin, and it appears likely that the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic have passed, Willis said.
On Tuesday, there were 21 people hospitalized in Marin due to COVID-19; six of them were in intensive care. Willis said there were actually twice that number of people in Marin hospitals who had tested positive but the rest had tested positive for the virus after coming to a hospital for a reason other than COVID-19.
Willis said there has been much discussion lately as to whether the nation is finally approaching the end of the pandemic. He said that while by the strict definition of the word the pandemic may end in the not too distant future, COVID-19 will continue to dog the human race just as other viral respiratory illnesses do.
“We’re not there yet,” the public health officer said. “I imagine we have two to three weeks more of high transmission levels ahead.”
Willis said he was pleased to see Marin schools rebound after a shaky return from the holiday break at the beginning of the month. The county hit a one-day high of 625 positive cases on Jan. 4, right after students and staff returned to classrooms post-holiday.
The seven-day average daily positive case count has since dropped from 407 on Jan. 9 to about 280 average daily cases as of Tuesday, he said.
“While we are still experiencing high rates of transmission, cases among staff and students are declining,” he said of the schools.
“I’m seeing that we did so well this month,” Willis said, noting that 100% of Marin schools were still open for in-person learning, despite many staff and student absences for COVID-19 quarantines earlier this month.
At the same time, Willis said that county school families and staff still needed to remain vigilant.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “Our case rates are still much higher than they were before the omicron surge. I don’t want to give a false sense of security.”
Willis said the county is starting to rely heavily on wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 particles, which is accessible for about 75% of the county residents. The wastewater data, which is showing a decline in the omicron variant, can be even more reliable than testing data, which can depend on people reporting test results.
“There will likely be new variants,” emerging among the unvaccinated population worldwide, including an already emerging sub-variant of omicron in Denmark that looked similar to the current variant, Willis noted.
“But we think they will likely be less harmful, and will cause less of a wave,” he said.
Due to vaccinations and past infections, the population has stronger collective immunity, Willis said. Over 90% of Marin’s population is fully vaccinated. The upside of omicron’s infectious nature is that it has bestowed increased immunity on the community.
Periodic vaccinations and easy access to testing will be important components of future management of COVID-19, Willis noted. Due to a current shortage of rapid antigen tests, the public health officer recommended that Marin residents use the tests when experiencing symptoms, not for routine reassurance.
During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Damon Connolly asked about the state authorization allowing health care employees and first responders in Marin to continue working despite being infected to help relieve staffing shortages.
Willis said due to a 40% drop in cases since the first week of January in Marin, “We’re not seeing that happening at all now across the county. As our case rates drop, that is less and less of a concern.”
Connolly also asked for an update on an outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, which reported 336 active cases among inmates and 108 active cases among staff on Tuesday. Willis said so far, none of the inmates have become ill enough to require transfer to a hospital outside the prison. He said this is because approximately 92% of the prison population has been vaccinated and 82% has received a booster shot.
Supervisor Dennis Rodoni asked about three new reported COVID-19 deaths. Willis said one person died several months ago and his death due to COVID-19 was only recently verified. He said all three who died were over the age of 70, and two of them were in hospice receiving end-of-life care.
Rodoni also asked about future shots.
“Do you predict there is another booster in our future this year?” Rodoni said.
Willis said he doubted that most Marin residents will require another booster or vaccination with an omicron-specific vaccine this year, but he said people who are immunosuppressed or at high medical risk may want to consider a fourth dose.
A follow-up meeting on COVID-19 for Marin school parents is planned for 6 p.m. Feb. 7, and for the Marin school community at 3 p.m. Feb. 9. To access those events, go to marinschools.org.
To view the county’s letter and the new updated 32-point plan, see the “Rethinking Schools” page site at marinschools.org.
