Sacramento County coronavirus cases have now doubled in 5 days. Another death reported

Known cases of coronavirus infections in Sacramento County have doubled in the last five days and now stand at 224 - a number that partially reflects the spread of the virus in the county, but also reflects increased testing in the past week.

There was one death since Friday, county officials said, bringing the county total to seven deaths in the six weeks since the virus was first identified here, county health officials reported on Monday.

Surrounding counties Yolo, El Dorado and Placer reported 75 cases as of Sunday, 52 of them in Placer.

Officials said the number of cases is expected to continue to rise for weeks before peaking and then tailing off. In Sacramento County, officials are projecting the peak counts of new cases will occur some time in April.

Health officials continue to call for people to remain at home as much as possible in April to limit the spread of the virus. That includes limiting trips to the grocery store and maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from others when they are out.

County officials say they expect to extend the current county emergency health order beyond the current April 7 end date.

“A Health Order like this is unprecedented, so it is to be expected that there would be a learning curve,” County health chief Peter Beilenson said. “But the most important action people can take is to stay home, don’t gather with others, be sure to keep your six foot distance and clean your hands and surfaces often.”

There have been confirmed cases in all cities in Sacramento County except Isleton. “This data tells us that regardless if we live in urban, suburban or rural areas, it is imperative that all of us continue to stay home as much as possible,” Beilenson said.

Sacramento’s seven deaths trails Los Angeles, which had 37 deaths as of Monday morning, Santa Clara which had 25, and Riverside which had eight. Alameda, San Mateo and San Diego also each were reporting seven deaths as of Monday morning.

Ages of coronavirus cases

So far in Sacramento, COVID-19 has hit across all adult age groups, but has been most serious among older people. All but one of the county’s seven deaths have been among patients age 65 and older. One person was older than 60, officials said.

The youngest to get the virus so far is a 9-year-old, the oldest is 97.

▪ 0-17 years old: 3 infections

▪ 18-64 years old: 140 cases

▪ 65-year-old and older: 81 cases

Sacramento County officials said last week they, as well as local hospitals and a private testing company called Verily have been able to increase the number of people tested locally in the last week. That will help give a better clue of how widely the virus has spread in the local community and aid in monitoring when it hits its peak.

Hospitals have been gearing up for what is being called the “surge” in the next few weeks of more seriously ill patients needing acute treatment.

Beilenson, director of the Sacramento County Department of Health Services, calls the moment “unsettling,” but said that what is happening here is what was expected, based on how the virus grew in China, where it was first noted, and then later in South Korea, Italy, other European countries, and now in New York, New Jersey, Washington state.

In California, the hot spots include Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties.

Beilenson, who issued Sacramento’s stay-at-home order nearly two weeks ago, said area residents have been doing a good job of social distancing, but he urged them to do even more in the coming few weeks.

“Together, using social distancing, we are reducing new cases today, which will stagger the rate of cases in the weeks to come,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that with the efforts of social distancing that seems to be making a difference.”

Beilenson last week ordered county residents to stay at home, essentially sheltering in place, unless they have essential outings they need to make, such as going to the grocery store. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar statewide order later that day

The goal, health officials say, is to limit the spread of the virus by limiting contact among residents. Beilenson and other health officials continue to say they believe that sheltering in place, limiting outings to stores, and diligently practicing 6-foot spacing in public remains the best defense against viral spread.

County officials decline to offer details about the six death cases, but said on their website that “individuals who died from complications of COVID-19 were either older than 70 or had underlying health conditions.”

The fifth death in the county, reported on Wednesday, is the first person of the five who was under age 70. That person, like the four previous, suffered from underlying health conditions prior to contracting the virus, Beilenson said.

Beilenson has repeatedly warned the number of cases will grow notably as more testing is done in the county. The health chief is among those who have been critical of the lack of testing capabilities since the international pandemic hit the county in late February, a failure that likely led to greater spread of the virus.

Testing has ratcheted up in the county in recent days, including a new public test site at Cal Expo operated by Verily.

Cases in Northern California increase

Placer reported 53 cases, and two deaths, as of Sunday. The communities where infections have been identified are: Auburn, Carnelian Bay, Granite Bay, Kings Beach, Lincoln, Loomis, Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Olympic Valley, Rocklin, Roseville.

Yolo County officials on Friday reported 13 known cases. One Yolo resident has died.

El Dorado County has reported nine cases.

Nearby Glenn and Colusa counties also reported the first cases there on Friday.

Statewide, the number of known positive cases was listed Thursday at 4,227. There have been 81 deaths.

Newsom this week said the state and its hospitals are rushing to prepare for a predicted spike or surge in the number of seriously ill people over the next few weeks.

The United States has registered more coronavirus cases than any other country, 143,000, according to Johns Hopkins University Monday morning. The U.S. fatality numbers stood at 2,572 on Monday morning. Italy has the most at 10,800. Spain has 7,340.

The first of the seven deaths in Sacramento County was a 90-plus year old woman female resident of an Elk Grove assisted living center who died two and one-half weeks ago, a death announced on March 10.

Since then, six others have died in the county. One was a Sacramento city substitute teacher, whose death was disclosed on March 16. Another, identified as Don Sperling, 85, died March 21. Sperling, who was identified by his pastor, was a former assistant city treasurer and attended the same church, Faith Presbyterian Church, as the schoolteacher.

The first case of the virus in Sacramento occurred on Feb. 19, slightly more than one month ago, when a seriously ill woman was transported from Solano County to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for treatment.

The county’s Public Health Order directs that there should not be gatherings in any formal setting. To report a violation of the Public Health Officer Order, call 3-1-1. The county’s orders state:

• All bars, wineries and brew-pubs should be closed
• All in-dining at restaurants should cease (take out and home delivery with social distancing may continue)
• All gyms should be closed
• All bingo halls and card rooms should be close

This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 12:17 PM.