Paesanos restaurant latest business to temporarily close as COVID-19 sweeps through midtown
As reported coronavirus infection numbers continue to rise, a string of businesses in midtown Sacramento have voluntarily closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks in the community. Paesanos is the latest to temporarily shut down after learning of an infection among staff.
The midtown Italian restaurant made a statement on social media regarding the closure, saying that one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating at home.
“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our staff and guests, and while we were advised by the County Health Department that we could continue to safely operate takeout and delivery, out of an abundance of precaution, we have voluntarily closed our Midtown Sacramento location for 2 days for additional deep cleaning and sanitization,” Paesanos management said in the statement.
The restaurant was already checking its staff members’ temperatures upon arrival to work, a process which it will continue, along with extra cleaning and sanitation measures.
“We thank you for your patience and understanding and look forward to welcoming you back on Monday, June 29,” management said.
The restaurant’s Elk Grove and Davis locations remain open.
Badlands and The Depot, two midtown nightclubs popular in the LGBTQ community, also recently announced they would be closing for at least a week in order to undertake a deep cleaning and have staff members tested for COVID-19. Joint management for the clubs said that a guest who attended on their first night after reopening tested positive for coronavirus three days later.
Last week week, midtown bar and grill Zebra Club shut down for cleaning and staff tests after a customer tested positive for coronavirus.
The outbreak at Zebra Club was concerning enough for Old Tavern Bar and Grill to close as well, despite not finding evidence of infections in either staff or guests. A bartender said that much of Old Tavern’s customer base also patronizes Zebra Club. A sign posted to the door cited “a neighborhood spike in the COVID-19 virus” as reason for the temporary closure.
On Wednesday, downtown Sacramento restaurant The Melting Pot announced a closure in response to an employee’s potential exposure to coronavirus outside of work.
10 million infected, 500,000 dead
On Sunday, the world hit another grim benchmark as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout communities. Ten million people have now been infected by the highly contagious virus, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
The total number of coronavirus cases has doubled in the span of about five weeks. On May 21, the world hit 5 million cases. Seven weeks prior to that, on April 2, the world had seen 1 million people sick from the coronavirus.
The world also reached another milestone — more than half a million people have died of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. Although there is no medical consensus on the mortality rate of coronavirus, the numbers as they stand indicate an approximate rate of one death for every 20 cases, or about 5 percent.
The United States currently accounts for about a quarter of all cases of coronavirus, with over 2.5 million infections. More than 125,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. Brazil is the next leading nation in the pandemic, with 1.3 million cases and 57,000 deaths.
California has seen 211,000 infections and 5,905 deaths from coronavirus as of Sunday evening, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Los Angeles County, and Southern California more broadly, remains California’s coronavirus epicenter. Los Angeles County accounts for almost half of the state’s total infection count, with 95,000 cases.
Infections across the state have been rising quickly in recent days, as testing capabilities expand but also as businesses continue to reopen.
During a Friday press conference, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the state was experiencing a concerning rise in infections in people under 35, a group which he said “believes in many cases that they are invincible.”
According to state data, the majority of cases in California — 57 percent — are among those aged 18 to 49. Although COVID-19 has been known to affect the elderly worse than younger patients, Californians older than 65 make up just 14 percent of cases. Those aged 50 to 64 make up 21 percent of coronavirus patients and those 17 or younger make up 8 percent.
The Mercury News of San Jose spoke with experts who suggested the under 35 demographic is often on the front lines of retail, dining and other essential industries.
The recent increase in coronavirus cases has also resulted in a spike in hospitalizations. State data shows that 1,385 confirmed COVID-19 patients are being treated in intensive care units across California.
Data from the Mercury News shows that more than 14,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported across the state since Friday.
Local health officials are also reported large surges in caseloads.
Sacramento County, while faring better than many Southern California areas, has seen marked increases in daily infection rates. Triple-digit increases every day have become commonplace in recent weeks, despite county health officials reporting daily averages around 40 at the onset of the pandemic in late March and early April. 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. On Sunday, 110 more cases were added for a total of 2,776 infections and 66 deaths.
Yolo County has seen 458 infections and 24 deaths, reporting 20 new infections 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 and 16 more were added Sunday, bringing the county’s total to 627 infections and 11 deaths, including one reported Friday. 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 still reported no deaths, 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 in the county.
Just outside the four-county region, Sutter County has a total of 152 coronavirus cases and three deaths. Four cases were added Saturday, seven on Friday and 13 more on Thursday. Yuba County, which has a case total of 61 and one death, reported four cases Saturday, six on Friday, two more on Thursday and six on Wednesday.
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 28, 2020 at 11:27 AM.