Almost 6,000 more cases in California; Sacramento bars voluntarily shutting down as virus surges

As coronavirus cases in the Sacramento region continue to surge, California public health officials have reported another day of high increases in infections.

On Friday, 5,972 more cases of coronavirus were reported across California, according to state data, marking the second-highest day of increases since the pandemic began.

The state set a daily record for new coronavirus infections on Tuesday after health officials said that 7,149 people had tested positive.

California’s infection numbers have been trending upward in recent weeks, as testing capabilities have expanded and economic restrictions have been loosened. Many other states have seen similar surges in infections amid widespread reopenings.

Across the globe, more than 9.8 million people have been infected with coronavirus, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly half a million people have died and almost 5 million patients have recovered after infection.

The United States accounts for about a quarter of all infections, with 2.4 million cases of coronavirus. More than 125,000 Americans have been killed by the virus. Brazil, the next leading country in terms of infections, has seen 1.2 million cases of coronavirus and nearly 56,000 deaths.

Cases in the U.S. have been increasing precipitously recently. The nation set a record for new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, as more than 39,000 more Americans tested positive. A previous record had been set the day before.

Florida also broke a daily record on Friday with nearly 9,000 new cases. It was the highest daily increase among any state since April 15.

California currently has reported about 207,000 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins. More than 5,800 Californians have died of COVID-19.

The state’s largest center of infection by far is Los Angeles County, where 93,000 people have been infected and 3,200 people have died.

Sacramento County, while faring better than many Southern California areas, has seen marked increases in daily infections. Public health officials reported 103 new cases of coronavirus on June 19, then 131 cases on Tuesday and set a new record of 154 cases on Friday. Currently, 2,666 people have been infected with the virus and 66 people have died.

Yolo County has seen 458 infections and 24 deaths, reporting 20 new infections on Saturday after several days of double-digit infections. On Tuesday, county health officials reported a record-setting day of 26 new infections. Wednesday’s update added 22 more and Thursday saw 24 new cases.

Placer County set a daily record on June 18, with 28 new cases, and infection numbers have remained relatively high. On Saturday, 18 new cases were added, bringing the county’s total to 611 infections and 11 deaths. On Wednesday, 22 new cases were reported and on Thursday, 23 more were added. Placer County previously experienced a month-long stretch wherein no deaths were reported, but added two deaths in the last week.

El Dorado County has kept its numbers low, but as of Thursday, one person was being treated in an intensive care unit for COVID-19. That same day, five new cases were reported. In total, 158 people have tested positive for coronavirus and no deaths have been reported.

Sutter County has a total of 147 coronavirus cases and three deaths. Seven new cases were added on Friday, and 13 more on Thursday. Yuba County, which has a case total of 57 and one death, reported six new cases on Friday, two more on Thursday and six on Wednesday.

Depot, Badlands closing again

Badlands and The Depot, well-known in midtown Sacramento as institutions popular with the LGBTQ community, will be closing for at least a week in order to deep clean and test staff after a customer who visited one of the bars tested positive for coronavirus.

The two nightclubs, which share management, released a statement Friday, saying that the customer with COVID-19 showed up on their first day back in business after weeks of government-mandated closure.

Badlands and The Depot reopened on June 19, shortly after California Gov. Gavin Newsom cleared bars and nightclubs to reopen, with special procedures to keep staff and customers safe, including limited occupancy and mandatory face masks.

Three days after reopening, the customer received positive results from a coronavirus test.

“We have no reason to believe that any of our staff or our guests have been infected, since we were informed by our patron that they wore a mask and had little interaction outside of their pod,” management said in a statement.

Earlier this week, midtown bar and grill Zebra Club shut down under similar circumstances. There, a temporary closure for cleaning and staff tests occurred after a customer tested positive for coronavirus.

Old Tavern closing temporarily

Amid a rash of infections in Sacramento County and following the closure of other midtown bars and clubs, Old Tavern Bar and Grill decided to shut its doors as well.

An Old Tavern bartender said that the closure was a precautionary measure, taken to protect staff and guests — many of whom also patronize Zebra Club as well.

Fears over the outbreak at Zebra Club prompted the bar to close, despite taking measures to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus at Old Tavern.

“Due to a neighborhood spike in the COVID-19 virus we will be closed temporarily to insure the safety of our customers, employees, and families,” a sign posted to the doors of the bar read. “Thank you for understanding.”

Sac City worker tests positive

An employee at Meadowview’s John Still Middle School tested positive for coronavirus, according to school district officials.

In a statement, the Sacramento City Unified School District said that the employee tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, and Sacramento County health officials confirmed the results on Friday.

Although the employee’s position is not being released due to health privacy laws, district officials believe they did not come into contact with the public while performing their job duties. The district has reached out to anyone who may have been in contact with the employee.

Although students have been attending class virtually from home, some staff still remain on campuses in the district. Additionally, students are still visiting campuses, as meal services are continuing through the summer at some school sites, including John Still Middle School.

Donated drug supply running thin

Sacramento and Yolo counties are running out of their donated allotment of remdesivir, the only antiviral drug that has been proven effective in clinical trials against severe cases of the respiratory disease.

Because supplies of remdesivir are limited, the federal government is coordinating distribution of the medication to states, according to a May 20 advisory from Dr. Sonia Angell, the state public health officer and director. This is how the California Department of Public Health gets its stock.

Gilead, the company that manufacturers the broad-spectrum antiviral drug, donates the medication out of supplies that it does not need for research. Federal officials said this month that they expect one more shipment from Gilead the week of June 29.

Sacramento County officials said they had been allotted 372 doses so far, but said in an email to The Sacramento Bee that hospitals can request the drug directly from the company.

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 June 27, 2020 at 1:07 PM.