Sacramento County’s COVID-19 death toll at 12 this week as state nears 7,000 dead
The number of Californians hospitalized with COVID-19 has never been higher, and as the coronavirus continues to ravage communities throughout the state, deaths in the Sacramento area are pouring in.
Sacramento County health officials reported two new deaths due to COVID-19 Saturday morning. Just this week, 12 deaths have been added to the county’s total toll, which now stands at 81 deceased.
Five deaths were reported Monday, two more came on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and Friday brought one more. Nine of the county’s total deaths have been in patients younger than 65. On Friday, Sacramento County’s running total of infections also surpassed the 5,000 mark.
On Saturday, 187 more coronavirus patients were confirmed in the county, for a total of 5,339 cases. Of the total, 2,372 patients are considered “likely recovered” by health officials, which means more than half, nearly 3,000, are still active.
Many of these cases have emerged in recent weeks. Between June 23 and July 6, almost 2,200 infections were reported.
Sacramento County’s recent string of deaths comes as hospitalization rates across California continue to rise at a rapid clip.
The California Department of Public Health is reporting the highest number of currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with a total of 6,171. Of these, 1,777 are being treated in intensive care units, which is also the highest number since the start of the pandemic. A total of 312,000 Californians have tested positive for coronavirus and almost 7,000 have died.
Since mid June, statewide hospitalizations have increased by nearly 100 percent, and admittance into ICUs for COVID-19 has increased by almost 70 percent in the same time span.
The trends in Sacramento County are roughly analogous. In late May, the county hit a low of just 8 coronavirus patients hospitalized. Now, there are 157 in hospitals. Late May also saw a low of just two patients in ICUs, which has since risen to 51.
Placer County, which joined many other Sacramento-area counties on the state’s regional coronavirus watchlist on Thursday, is also experiencing increased rates of infection. A total of 1,055 tests have come back positive in the county, and 11 people have died. On Saturday, 34 more cases were added to the total. The county set a record for daily coronavirus infections on July 5, when 49 people tested positive for the virus. The day before, 42 people tested positive. Two people who died in Placer County were between the ages of 50 and 64. The rest were 65 or older. Currently, 27 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, and four are being treated in ICUs, according to state data. The county has 27 available ICU beds.
Yolo County has reported a total of 839 cases of coronavirus and 28 deaths. County health officials added 38 new infections on Friday. Of all infections, 93 have been linked to outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Stollwood Convalescent Hospital’s outbreak, which was first reported in April, accounts for 66 infections and 17 deaths. Alderson Convalescent Hospital has reported 15 infections and Courtyard Healthcare Center has reported seven. Twelve coronavirus patients are hospitalized in Yolo County and three are in ICUs. Four ICU beds are open in the county. The county was added to the state watchlist on Wednesday.
El Dorado County is the only county in the greater Sacramento area to have not been put on the state’s coronavirus watchlist, owing to its relatively low infection rate and its rare status as a Northern California county that has not yet seen a single death from COVID-19. Only 307 people have been infected by the coronavirus in the county, almost half of which hail from the Lake Tahoe area. State data shows that two people were placed into ICUs on Saturday.
Sutter County was added to the state watchlist on Thursday, due to increasing infection rates. Neighboring Yuba County was added Saturday. Sutter County reported its highest daily infections on Friday adding 35 new cases for a total of 372 people infected. Four people have died in Sutter County and 14 people are currently hospitalized. Yuba County added 17 cases on Friday for a total of 180 infections. Three people have died and 9 people are hospitalized. Yuba County saw a record-high day of infections on July 1, adding 19 new cases of coronavirus.
Worldwide, 12.5 million people have been infected and 561,000 have died of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States accounts for about a quarter of all infections, with 3.2 million cases. More than 132,000 Americans have died. Brazil is the next major vector of infections, with 1.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus. India has recently seen a surge in cases, surpassing Russia with over 820,000 infections across the subcontinent.
California prison workers sent to San Quentin
Sacramento-area prison employees are being forced to transfer to San Quentin Prison in order to battle a coronavirus outbreak.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is sending correctional officers and mental health nurses to the prison for a period of 30 days, but employees fear the possibility of bringing the virus back to their home institutions.
A transfer of 121 inmates from a prison in Chino to the San Quentin facility in May led to an outbreak that has engulfed 1,300 inmates and 205 staff members.
“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our members,” Eric Soto, president of the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians, told The Sacramento Bee. “But second, it’s going to lead to more of our members getting infected, spreading to more inmates. We’re going to end up having it spread like wildfires in these prisons.”
Some employees at prisons in Folsom and Ione will be moved to San Quentin. Testing will be done on transferred staff at regular intervals.
The CDCR is also planning to release about 8,000 inmates by the end of August in order to keep population size lower as concerns over outbreaks continue to plague the department. These inmates must have been incarcerated for a nonviolent crime and must not be sex offenders.
Paesano’s restaurant temporarily closing
Paesano’s Italian restaurant in Davis shut down on Friday in order to clean after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.
“While the team member affected has not been in our Davis location for 12 days, out of an abundance of precaution, we have voluntarily closed our Davis location for 2 days for additional deep cleaning and sanitization,” restaurant management said via social media.
The employee is currently in self-isolation at home, according to management. The Davis restaurant will reopen Monday for outdoor dining and takeout orders.
Paesano’s midtown Sacramento location also closed down for two days in late June after an employee there received positive test results.
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 July 11, 2020 at 12:04 PM.