Here’s where California’s COVID-19 caseloads, hospital numbers stand to start winter
With winter officially underway, California’s coronavirus numbers have continued a trend of slight improvement this month, though some parts of the state including the Sacramento region have recorded a sustained spike in hospitalizations.
The statewide daily case rate fell to 18.3 per 100,000 residents, the California Department of Public Health reported in a weekly update Thursday, down 17% from last week.
California’s test positivity rate also dipped, to 10.6% from 10.8% last week. CDPH reported positivity at 11.7% to begin December.
CDPH on Thursday reported 4,520 COVID-positive patients in hospital beds, a small increase from the 4,508 reported one week earlier. The patient count steadily rose from about 1,500 patients in late October to more than 4,000 in early December.
Hospitalizations have plateaued at the statewide level, but the leveling off comes as large Southern California counties including Los Angeles see patient totals stabilize. Patient totals have continued to climb in other parts of the state, including the capital region.
Placer County hospitals were treating 108 COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday and 100 by Thursday, state health data show, for the county’s two highest daily totals since February. Sacramento County recorded 243 patients in Thursday’s update, a 15% increase from last week and up 56% since Dec. 1.
Case rates have fluctuated in both counties, declining slightly in the past week. However, health officials continue to advise that transmission of COVID-19, as well as other respiratory viruses including RSV and the flu, is likely to increase as people gather and travel during the coming winter holidays, including Christmas this coming weekend.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since Dec. 1 has classified Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties in the “medium” community level for COVID-19 danger, due to increases in case and hospitalization rates. All four counties had been in the “low” community level throughout October and November.
Sacramento schools urge COVID testing on return from break
Sacramento City Unified School District has said that if Sacramento County is placed in the “high” community level, the K-12 district would return to an indoor mask mandate the following Monday.
Sacramento City Unified adjourns for its two-week winter break next week.
The district said it is sending students home with a round of free at-home COVID-19 test kits, and in a Wednesday letter asked parents to have students tested Jan. 8, the day before returning to school.
Major surge in China prompts worries, including of new variants
At the global level, health officials have expressed serious worries about the major surge currently underway in China, which has largely abandoned its “zero COVID” policy.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, during a Wednesday news briefing said WHO “is very concerned over the evolving situation in China with increasing reports of severe disease.”
Experts warn that the latest wave in China there could allow yet another round of contagious genetic variants of the virus to emerge.
Sacramento-area numbers by county
Sacramento County’s latest case rate is 15.7 per 100,000 residents, state health officials said in Thursday’s update, a 16% decrease from one week earlier.
Hospitals in Sacramento County were treating 243 patients Wednesday, state data updated Thursday show, up from 212 one week earlier. The intensive care unit total increased to 34 from 30.
Placer County’s latest case rate is 10.4 per 100,000 residents, a 24% decrease from one week earlier.
Hospitals in Placer County were treating 100 virus patients Wednesday, up from 86 one week earlier. The ICU total decreased to six from 12.
Yolo County’s latest case rate is 11.5 per 100,000 residents, a 14% decrease from one week earlier.
Hospitals in Yolo County were treating five virus patients Wednesday, up from four a week earlier. The ICU total decreased to zero from one.
El Dorado County’s latest case rate is 10.7 per 100,000 residents, an 11% decrease from one week earlier.
Hospitals in El Dorado County were treating 11 virus patients Wednesday, down from 12 a week earlier. The ICU total increased to two from zero.
Sutter County’s latest case rate is 13 per 100,000 residents, down 7% from last week, and Yuba County’s is 13.2 per 100,000, down 9%, state health officials reported Thursday.
The only hospital in Yuba County, which serves the Yuba-Sutter bicounty area, was treating 11 virus patients Wednesday, up from nine a week earlier. The ICU total remained at zero.
This story was originally published December 22, 2022 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Here’s where California’s COVID-19 caseloads, hospital numbers stand to start winter."
