Reopening, Retrospective, and other COVID-19 Updates
Below is a summary of the virtual Town Hall that took place on Monday, June 28. You can watch the full video by clicking the image below.
Case, Testing, and Hospitalization Updates
As of Sunday, June 27, there have been 3,671 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Berkeley and 50 deaths. This is an increase of 32 cases over the last 30 days. The unadjusted case rate is currently 0.60 new cases per day per 100,000 people (this statistic is based on last week’s seven day average as cases reported can fluctuate in the most recent days), a decrease from 1.90 during the last town hall on May 17th. You can read the latest numbers on our COVID-19 dashboard.
There are 45 people currently hospitalized in Alameda County, 17 of which are in ICUs. This is a decrease from 74 during the last town hall, but these numbers have gone up slightly over the last couple of weeks. This rise was expected with the reopening on June 15th, and most of these cases are from people who are not vaccinated.
Vaccine Updates
As of Monday, June 28, 154,679 doses have been administered to Berkeley residents, and 67% of Berkeley residents aged 12 or older are fully vaccinated (having received two doses or one dose of Johnson & Johnson); 79% are partially vaccinated. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently available to anyone aged 16 or over and Pfizer is available to anyone aged 12 and over.
There are multiple ways to receive a vaccine:
Healthcare providers:
Pharmacies:
Additional information about vaccines can be found here. If you have received your first dose but have not been contacted about setting up an appointment for a second dose, or need to reschedule, email covid19@cityofberkeley.info or call 510-981-2489.
Looking Back at 15 Months of COVID-19 Town Halls
This town hall is the final regularly scheduled town hall focusing on COVID-19, the 29th program since the first one aired on March 28, 2020. Residents have submitted around 1,000 questions, and these town halls provided a unique opportunity for city leadership to provide transparency on our efforts to address this pandemic. While the COVID-19 town halls may be coming to an end, the work is far from over. From continuing our vaccination efforts and addressing the economic fallout, we will continue to focus on responding to this emergency as we move into reopening. Through these difficult times, it has been an honor to serve as mayor, with the knowledge that our city is in good hands with our incredible city staff and leadership. We continue to monitor COVID-19 and to protect our community as best as we can.
Other Updates
The tiered system that defined the rules for each county has now been retired, and California has removed most COVID-19 related restrictions. In most situations, people who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks in indoor settings. Everyone will still need to wear a mask when using public transit, at a hospital, K-12 schools, and shelters. Additionally, businesses can choose to impose various protocols such as mask usage. For more details on the new rules, visit here.
The Delta variant is more contagious. Mutations are common and expected as the pandemic continues. It is not yet determined if this causes more severe illness. We continue to monitor this situation. In California, Delta accounts for 14% of sequenced positive tests, the third most common variant after Alpha and P1. There has been one confirmed case of Delta in Berkeley, a couple of weeks ago, which poses no threat of community spread.
City offices are now open to the public on Mondays-Fridays from 10am-2pm. We have a target of fully reopening (8am-5pm) beginning July 19th. Masks are required while inside, regardless of vaccination status. In-person Council meetings are tentatively set to begin after September 30th, and we are looking at a hybrid option for such meetings. Commission meetings will either be fully in person or fully virtual.
The City will receive $66.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Funds will be used to address deficits in the general fund caused by the pandemic, as part of the balanced budget that was approved on Tuesday.
Park rules will begin re-enforcement starting July 1st. Tents are not allowed, and people have been notified. This is in coordination with the opening of a new shelter in southwest Berkeley that can house up to 50 individuals. This new shelter location may be able to be used for an RV parking lot also and staff is accessing the feasibility and cost.