Coronavirus Spread Seen Within Families in Sonoma County

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Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase says contact tracing and increased testing across the county has revealed that coronavirus cases are continuing to spread within family units, and that the county’s alternate care site at Sonoma State University may be put to greater use in isolating family members of those infected.

Mase made the statements during a televised community forum this week, at which she also cautioned that the county would be moving more slowly than state guidelines allow in opening additional businesses in light of a rise in detected cases and hospitizations.

In the past two weeks more than 200 people in Sonoma County have tested positive for the coronavirus, the largest two week caseload since the start of the emergency. Much of that is believed to be due to ramped up testing, but officials remain unsure if businesses reopening may be contributing to the rise in infection.

The alternate care site consists of student dorms at Sonoma State University that have been readied for the use of community members who need the space to properly isolate from others. Also on site are gyms with space to treat patients who have mild to moderate coronavirus symptoms. So far little of the gym space and only a portion of the dorm accommodations have been used as a once-feared surge of virus cases has yet to appear.

Still, Mase says with testing revealing the virus to be spreading within families and extended families in crowded housing conditions, more people may be urged to relocate to the site to reduce the risk to the community.

In the past several weeks Sonoma County has allowed a wide range of retail businesses to offer curbside sales, parks to reopen with restrictions, and just in the past week dining to resume in outdoor settings. Recent changes have also allowed religious and other organizations to conduct drive in assemblies.

Just one week ago, Sonoma County became one of 47 counties across the state to receive a variance allowing it to reopen businesses at an accelerated rate.

But with cases on the rise, Mase has been cautious about moving deeper into phase two of reopening that would include allowing salons, barbershops and other indoor businesses to accept customers, even with restrictions in place.