Coronavirus updates: California’s COVID-19 figures trend downward as counties open up

California has maintained a declining rate of coronavirus infection and mortality, and counties continue to move into lower tiers through the state’s plan for economic reopening.

As of Saturday, 864,455 Californians have tested positive for coronavirus, and 16,899 have died of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. But in recent weeks, trends have been going down.

Over the last seven days, the number of people who were reported dead across the state on any given day averaged 57. In the past week, that average has gone down by 6.3%, reflecting decreasing mortality rates. The weekly average of daily new cases is 3,097, which has also gone down by 7.1% in the past week. On Friday, 2,979 new cases were reported by the California Department of Public Health. In mid-summer, when the pandemic was at its peak in the state, a one-day infection record was set on July 21 at 12,807 new reported cases.

As a result, several counties have been downgraded this week into less restrictive regional tiers based on the state’s coronavirus data. Sutter County, previosly in the move restrictive purple tier, is now in the red tier. Placer County, meanwhile, was moved out of the red tier and into the orange tier, joining El Dorado County.

The Mercury News reported that Santa Clara and Alameda counties were also moved into the orange tier this week, although most of the Bay Area remains under red or purple tier restrictions.

The foothills and Sierra Nevada regions are some of the least restricted in the state. Plumas, Sierra, Alpine and Mariposa counties constitute four of the eight counties in the least restrictive yellow tier. To enter the yellow tier, a county must show a new daily infection rate of less than 1 per 100,000 residents.

Worldwide, 39.5 million people have been infected with coronavirus and more than 1.1 million have died. The United States accounts for the largest share of global infections, with 8.09 confirmed cases in the nation.

More than 219,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. India has reported 7.4 million cases and nearly 113,000 deaths, while Brazil has reported 5.2 million cases and 153,000 deaths.

Local figures

The Sacramento-area region, like the state more broadly, has shown improved rates of infection and mortality. Sacramento County health officials have reported a total of 23,649 cases and 450 deaths so far.

Friday’s update added 90 new cases and four new deaths. In the past week, 543 new cases have been added to the total and 18 people have died of COVID-19. In the city of Sacramento, 259 are dead, while 111 of the deceased hail from unincorporated areas in the county.

Elk Grove accounts for 42 of the dead, Rancho Cordova for 25, Citrus Heights for 17, Galt for seven and Folsom for six, plus one victim whose place of residence was not reported by local health officials. Of all infections, 22,304 are presumed recovered.

The county’s most recent weekly average test positivity rate reported by the county is 2.8%, down significantly from its peak of almost 9% in August.

On Sept. 29, Sacramento County was moved down in the state’s regional coronavirus tier list from the most-severe category, purple, into the less-restrictive red tier, indicating substantial viral activity but improving conditions overall, and has remained there since.

There are currently 84 patients in Sacramento County hospitals with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 22 of whom are in ICUs. The county has 82 ICU beds available.

Yolo County, which joined Sacramento in the less restrictive red tier in late September, has reported just over 3,000 infections. Health officials have received positive coronavirus test results from 3,034 patients, and have reported 56 people dead of COVID-19. In the past week, 92 new infections have been reported and no new deaths have been announced. Friday’s update added 19 new cases to the total infection count.

In Yolo County, 43,753 people have been tested and health officials reported a weekly average positivity rate of 4.56%. Daily infections have gone down significantly since mid-summer. On July 8, 70 infections were reported in a single day, setting the county’s record. Since then, daily infections have steadily decreased to the current level.

Placer County has reported 3,880 total infections and 52 deaths. Since last week, 130 new cases and one new death have been reported. Friday’s update added 16 new cases. Health officials consider 3,561 of these cases to be likely recovered. After being placed into the orange tier, many of Placer County’s indoor establishments can bump up their capacity to higher, if still limited, amounts.

El Dorado County is one of a small number of counties to have reported deaths below double-digits, with just four since the start of the pandemic. Health officials have reported a total of 1,275 infections, 506 of which are from the Lake Tahoe area, still the leading site of infection in the county. The county’s test positivity rate is 1.7%.

Since last week, 36 new cases have been reported. Although El Dorado health officials were warned last week that it may be moved back up into the red tier, its infection rate normalized and it remained in the orange tier.

Sutter County health officials have reported 1,796 people positive for coronavirus and 12 dead. Three new cases were reported Friday and 21 were reported since last week. Three people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, although county officials say that just 16 cases are still active. Its test positivity rate is 3.2%.

Yuba County has a slightly higher positivity rate of 4.6%. County officials have reported 1,253 infections and 10 dead. Since last week, 26 new cases were reported. Three patients are hospitalized and seven new cases were reported Friday. Health officials say 25 of Yuba County’s cases are still active.

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.