Delta Variant Drives Marin Case Surge

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The delta variant of the coronavirus has driven a case surge in Marin County that’s coincided with the state’s reopening, officials said.

The delta variant has been linked to approximately 70 of new cases in Marin, which since the start of the year has been conducting genomic sequence surveillance for around half of the county’s cases.

County officials on Monday announced the release of a new dashboard that aims to help the public monitor the emergence of new variants.

Marin reported 12 new cases on Monday and 112 over the past 14 days according to the county’s coronavirus dashboard.

Marin’s seven-day rolling average of new cases has more than doubled from 3.3 percent on June 23 to 8.7 percent July 8, and its positivity rate has more than tripled from 0.4 percent on June 9 to 1.4 percent on July 6.

The COVID-19 case uptick in Marin reflects a national trend, but mostly involves unvaccinated clusters, CNN reports.

The local case surge in America’s most vaccinated county is doesn't fit that pattern.

As of Monday, 92 percent of eligible Marin residents (12 years of age and older) had received at least one jab, county officials said.

The delta variant, which was first detected in India, is more infectious and virulent than the original coronavirus strain responsible for some 600,000 deaths in the United States.

The delta variant has been linked to outbreaks in the neighboring towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo and at a Novato school, county officials confirmed last month.

The newer “delta plus” strain has also been detected in Marin, county officials said.

The county reports 12 coronavirus-related hospitalizations since June 1, of which all but one patient was unvaccinated.

The two most recent coronavirus-related deaths in Marin, both reported in May, involved unvaccinated residents.

More than 99 percent of coronavirus-related deaths in June involved unvaccinated people, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Sharing this information helps people see for themselves – being unvaccinated puts you at real risk for infection and more severe disease,” Marin Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said in a statement.

“It’s important to know that the vaccines are effective against the variants we're seeing.”

Marin officials said the county will continue to monitor variants and outbreaks of concern and will update the public of any significant changes.

Public Health offers daily mobile vaccination clinics as part of its goal to protect the remaining 8 percent of eligible residents.

To find a Marin County vaccination location visit here.