As Restrictions Tightened, Sonoma County Cases Continue Dangerous Rise

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As Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a rollback of indoor business activities across the entire state of California on Monday, Sonoma County continued to log coronavirus case numbers at near record levels.

NEW CASES

On Monday evening the public health department added 67 new cases to the countywide tally, the third highest one day total to date. All of the highest daily totals have come in the past two weeks, a period that has seen 752 new cases. This is almost 40% (39.9%) of all total cases since the beginning of the emergency in March. The positivity rate, the percent of tests that come back positive, has reached 5 percent during that period. Half of the county’s 16 COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the past two weeks.

County health workers are currently scrambling to trace cases and isolate individuals exposed. Public health officer Dr. Sundari Mase says it may take two weeks to a month to determine if the new restrictions are helping to slow the virus spread locally.

ROLLBACKS

On Monday the state added further rollbacks in Sonoma County and 31 others statewide already on the state watch list for coronavirus spread. Those orders extend the indoor business activities now banned statewide to include gyms, places of worship, non-critical offices, hair salons and indoor malls. The statewide orders, which also apply to Sonoma County, closed indoor restaurants, breweries, wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, entertainment centers and museums.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

This comes as Sonoma County continues to see increasing case numbers, and hospitalizations.

As of yesterday, July 13th, state figures show 38 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the county, and ten in ICU beds. Hospitalizations are near the high of 40 set in the last few days.

SONOMA COUNTY VERSUS STATE BENCHMARKS

Meantime, the county metrics reveal a high 2 week case rate (142.2 per 100K) and a testing positivity rate around 5 percent in the past week (up from 2 percent in May and June). And, at just 8 beds available, the ICU bed capacity locally is in danger of being reached.