Sacramento at a coronavirus breaking point. Health officials issue stern July 4 warning
Sacramento County is nearing a tipping point in its struggle with the coronavirus, the county’s top health officials said this week, warning that the resurgent virus could soon spread widely in the county if residents don’t redouble their efforts to stay clear of others, including family members and friends.
Echoing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Monday plea for individual responsibility, county health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson implored Sacramentans not to gather in big groups during the Fourth of July weekend.
“No parades, no barbecues,” he said. If you go to fireworks, stay in your car. “We are imploring people not to gather this weekend.”
The county has experienced a record spike in coronavirus infections since mid-June, prompting Beilenson to warn the region’s success in keeping infection rates low could be swept away in a matter of weeks if people – especially extended families – continue to congregate. Those gatherings have increased since the county began easing its stay-at-home orders.
Latino families are emerging as among the hardest-hit groups, including growing infections among younger family members. County officials have launched what they say is a more concerted effort in the last week to reach out to non-English speaking groups.
“The next two to three weeks will tell the tale whether we can turn this around or not,” Beilenson said. “Now, we are getting to the point where it becomes more and more common that someone you are exposed to has the virus, and that you get it as well.”
Sacramento has seen a 60 percent increase in the number of infections in the last two weeks, data show, including a record 228 new cases on Monday, followed by more than 200 again on Tuesday, bringing the county total to more than 3,200 since March. Sixty eight people have died of the virus in Sacramento County.
As of Monday, 98 virus patients were in Sacramento County hospitals, 28 of them in intensive care. That’s a concern because county hospitals currently have only 63 ICU beds free in case of a surge.
Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties also have seen recent spikes, as has the state of California and numerous other states. Placer health officials say they are seeing growing numbers of infections among younger people. El Dorado officials this week mirrored Sacramento’s concern about family gatherings spreading infections.
County officials ordered bars to close on Monday, saying they had seen too much close contact in tight confines since June 12 when bars reopened.
What’s causing the COVID-19 spike?
The increased numbers of COVID-19 cases is due in part to increased testing. But the percent of people testing positive has doubled in two weeks – a clear indicator that peoples’ activities are causing the virus to spread more widely.
County health officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said county disease tracers have tracked most of the new infection increase to large family gatherings, including graduation parties, funerals and birthday parties.
The county’s infection rate has been on the rise for weeks. The seven-day rolling average has gone from a very low 1 percent in mid-May to 5.3 percent as of June 27. That remains lower than the state’s 8 percent alarm-bell level, but its consistent rise has prompted concerns that people have become lax about social distancing rules.
Those rules, or in some places guidelines, ask people to stay six feet from others who are not in their immediate household. When in public or private places, indoors or out, near others, the state has ordered people to wear masks. They also dictate that people not hold gatherings of any kind in their homes.
Health officials have said they realize people may choose to gather in back or front yards to socialize, but have advised that those groups be six people or fewer, socially distanced and wearing masks. If guests are eating, they should bring their own food and drinks and not share.
New data show a surge in the number and percentage of people ages 18 to 49 who are contracting the virus, health officials in Sacramento, California and nationally have said. Those younger age groups are more likely to be asymptomatic, or only mildly ill, but can easily pass on a fatal case without knowing it to an older relative or to someone who has existing health issues that make them more susceptible to a fatal case.
Newsom issued his own warning on Monday about the upcoming weekend, saying people start out with the best intentions at outdoor gatherings, arriving with their masks on, then “they immediately put their mask down in order to have a drink, eat some food and all of a sudden, the cousins get a little closer, the kids are jumping on top of you.”
In the end, people may be kissing goodbye.
“All the normalcy of life, love, family, relationships, you let your guard down and we are seeing a lot of that,” he said.
It comes down to “individual decision-making,” Newsom said, “The sum total of those decisions will determine the fate and future of the spread of this disease. Please, please practice physical distancing.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 8:17 AM.