Coronavirus updates: Where to find testing sites near Sacramento; global infections hit 4 million
As California begins to slowly open back up and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Phase 2 response to coronavirus goes into effect, that means more people might be out on the streets of the capital region.
Newsom’s recent changes to the state’s stay-at-home orders now allows for California residents to order products from retailers and pick them up in-store.
But health officials are still encouraging people to get tested for coronavirus if they are experiencing symptoms that may stem from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
Sacramento County, which contains the highest population in the area and the highest concentration of coronavirus cases, is stepping up its testing capabilities despite the loosening of restrictions.
Three new appointment only-sites will be opening up next week that may be utilized by anyone, regardless of whether or not they are displaying symptoms.
The new Sacramento County testing sites will be located at:
▪ La Familia Counseling Center, 5523 34th Street, near south Sacramento
▪ Roberts Family Development Center, 766 Darina Avenue, in Old North Sacramento
▪ St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 3996 14th Avenue, in Oak Park
These are in addition to a drive-thru coronavirus testing site located at Cal Expo and run by a Verily, a sister company of Silicon Valley tech giant Google.
Using the Cal Expo site, laboratories and hospitals, Sacramento County currently tests somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 patients per day, and the new sites will be able to conduct 150 to 200 daily tests each.
“It’s very important for us to readily have testing available so when people identify as having symptoms or having been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, we can easily get them tested,” Sacramento County Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye told The Sacramento Bee.
More testing sites around the region
Yolo County also announced testing sites in Woodland and West Sacramento last week, the cities with the highest coronavirus rates in the county, although health officials did not release specific locations.
These sites are capable of testing 135 people per day and can release results to health officials within three days.
Tests are available by appointment only, which can be made by calling 888-634-1123 or filling out an online application at lhi.care/covidtesting.
Placer County also opened two appointment-only testing sites in Roseville at the @the Grounds venue and Kings Beach near Lake Tahoe at the North Tahoe Event Center.
The Placer testing sites are run by the same state-partnered company running those in Yolo County, OptumServe. Placer officials directed residents to use the same phone number or online application to set an appointment for the local sites.
El Dorado County’s testing sites also recently opened in Shingle Springs and South Lake Tahoe.
The Shingle Springs site is located at Ponderosa High School at 3661 Ponderosa Road, and the South Lake Tahoe site is at Lake Tahoe Community College at 1 College Drive.
Each site will accommodate up to 132 tests per day, according to the Mountain Democrat newspaper in Placerville.
OptumServe’s phone number and online application can be used to make an appointment to visit either site.
Coronavirus by the numbers
The world hit another milestone in the coronavirus pandemic Saturday afternoon.
The global total for confirmed coronavirus cases broke 4 million according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University. More than 278,000 people have been killed by COVID-19 and 1.3 million patients have recovered after infection.
By late April, the world had hit 3 million cases. On April 15, less than two weeks before that, the world hit the 2 million mark. Two weeks before that, on April 2, it was 1 million.
The United States accounts for more than a quarter of worldwide cases, with just over 1.3 million as of Saturday. More than 78,000 Americans have died of the virus, while 212,000 have recovered.
The country’s main vector of infection is in New York State, where 333,000 people have received positive test results for coronavirus and 26,000 have died.
The East Coast state dwarfs many European nations. Spain, which has been working to mitigate one of the worst outbreaks overseas, has seen nearly 223,000 cases of coronavirus and 26,000 deaths.
California, meanwhile, has almost 65,000 cases of coronavirus thus far, according to Johns Hopkins. As of Saturday, 2,640 people had been killed.
County health officials throughout California reported 2,120 new coronavirus cases on Friday, according to data compiled by The Mercury News of San Jose.
Los Angeles County continues to see nearly half of the state’s coronavirus cases and the majority of deaths. On Friday, the county, which is home to about a quarter of California’s 39.5 million residents, topped 30,000 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic and reported 50 new deaths, for a total of 1,468.
California recorded its highest single-day number of confirmed coronavirus tests on Wednesday, when 2,546 people tested positive for the deadly illness. Experts have cautioned the rising number of positive tests is tied to the state ramping up testing for COVID-19.
Sacramento was reporting only a slight increase Saturday morning, with 1,165 cases of coronavirus, up by five, and 50 deaths.
Yolo County reported 172 cases and 20 deaths; Placer County reported 168 cases, up by three, and eight deaths; and El Dorado County reported 54 cases and no deaths.
What is COVID-19? How is the coronavirus spread?
Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within 6 feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The CDC says it’s possible to catch the disease COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure. Most develop only mild symptoms, but some people develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal. The disease is especially dangerous to the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 11:14 AM.