Sonoma State Dorms, Gym Prepped as Alternate Care Site

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California National Guard troops based in Vallejo were hard at work at Sonoma State University Tuesday, preparing Alternate Care Site dorm rooms at the Sauvignon West and Verdot complexes. The first group of individuals to arrive will be those awaiting COVID-19 test results, as well as the county’s most vulnerable populations. Those arrivals could come as soon as Tuesday of next week. This will include those over 65 with pre-existing conditions and homeless individuals with nowhere else to shelter.

National Guards men and women were clearing dorm rooms of furniture in preparation for sanitizing and bringing in cots and other supplies. Nearby, the Student Center gymnasium was being prepared for the possible arrival the following week of those experiencing mild to moderate covid-19 symptoms.

Capacity for up to 580 beds is planned for Sonoma State. However it’s not known how much of that space will be needed to relieve hospitals, if they become overcrowded with COVID-19 patients. Much depends on whether a surge of COVID-19 patients, which has not yet been seen, arrives in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County has commissioned modeling which suggests the peak of hospital use in the county may not arrive until late May or early June. But health officials say new data may change that estimate, and plans will remain fluid to adjust to the size and scope of any surge of patients that may arrive.

News of the North Bay talked to Tina Rivera, Alternate Care Site coordinator for Sonoma County, about how the Alternate Care Site at Sonoma State will be used in the coming weeks.