Correction: An earlier version of this story stated a dozen people hospitalized in Marin for COVID-19 were vaccinated.
MARIN, Calif. (KRON) – Marin County Public Health on Monday reported an increase in new cases and hospitalizations, coinciding with the June 15 statewide reopening.
In a statement, officials said this is also due to the circulation of more infectious variants of the virus.
Since Jun 1, a dozen people have been hospitalized in Marin for COVID-19 – all but one were unvaccinated, officials said.
The most recent deaths in Marin – which happened in early May – were unvaccinated residents.
Officials said Marin County remains one of the most highly-vaccinated communities in the state, with 92% of residents vaccinated with at least one dose.
Regarding the Delta variant, officials said currently about half of all local cases are analyzed for the presence of variants – and of those sent for analysis, approximately 70% of recent cases in Marin have been linked to the Delta variant.
Additionally, the “Delta plus” variant, which officials said may be more infectious than the original Delta variant, has also been detected in Marin.
“Sharing this information helps people see for themselves – being unvaccinated puts you at real risk for infection and more severe disease,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s Public Health Officer. “It’s important to know that the vaccines are effective against the variants we’re seeing.”
To find a vaccination site near you, visit the county’s website here.
Marin is the latest Bay Area county to report an uptick in Delta variant cases. Contra Costa reported seeing a spike last week.
The delta variant is now the dominant strain moving across the U.S., the CDC said. It is more contagious than the original virus that plagued the country in early 2020.