2 More County Virus Deaths. 2 Week Case Tally Rises.

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Sonoma County health officer Dr. Sundari Mase says she believes Sonoma County is destined for the state “watch list” of counties in which coronavirus metrics don’t meet state standards. The reason, she says, is a troubling rise in newly detected infections, including at senior care facilities, and evidence of increased community spread.

This comes as the county recorded its 8th and 9th deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and county officials were warning the public to avoid gatherings outside their own immediate family over the Independence Day holiday.

As of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases had risen by 44 in 24 hours, and 93 in two days. That caused the running 14 day tally of cases per 100 thousand population to reach 85. That number has been rising rapidly through much of June, from about 40 at the beginning of the month. Depending on other metrics, a county may be moved to the “watch list” when the number reaches 100.

This has come with increased testing and contact tracing. However health officials have been consistent in saying they are seeing more cases of community spread within Sonoma County.

The so called “R-effective” number, an important calculation of how many people an infected person is suspected of passing the virus to, has also been rising, although slowly. It now stands at 1.16 in Sonoma County, which indicates the virus is likely spreading within the community.

The number of infections as a percentage of total tests is also edging upward, now 2.5 percent. Still, that figure is far below the state number which passed 6 this week.

Hospitalizations are also up, according to state figures.

As of Thursday there were 17 confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Sonoma County. Although low compared to many other counties, the figures represent a rise over recent weeks.