Covid-19 update: Bay Area counties diverge on reopening schedule as national death toll nears 76,000

As people locally learn to deal with the virus in their own communities, when what’s opened and closed becomes news, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. New York today reported that more than 26,000 people have died so far from Covid-19 — in that one state.  

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U.S.

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,256,771
  • Deaths: 75,649

Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Thursday at 6:46 p.m.

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California

  • Confirmed Cases: 61,938
  • Deaths: 2,535

Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Wednesday at 6:46 p.m.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the official Stage 2 rollout of the state’s plan to reopen. Beginning Friday, certain “low-risk” businesses can reopen with curbside service and pickup under several conditions laid out on the Office of the Governor website. The state law permits counties and cities to override state rules if deemed necessary. 

Six Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley chose to side with local orders given and wait out “reopening” a bit longer.    

Orange County 

  • Confirmed Cases: 3,092
  • Deaths: 96

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency as of Thursday, six days after the May 1 Huntington Beach protest

Sacramento County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,153
  • Deaths: 49

Source: Sacramento County Public Health as of Thursday, six days after the May 1 State Capitol protest.

Regional

The California Department of Motor Vehicles will reopen 25 field offices in limited capacity across the state. The announcement made Thursday came with a request to keep field visits reserved for urgent needs that cannot be handled online or at a later date. 

Brett L Twenty-five California Department of Motor Vehicles offices will reopen Friday, May 8, 2020 for limited service by appointment only.

Though Newsom revised statewide guidelines this week, six Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley opted to stick with the more restrictive local orders. The decision to override the state with additional restriction is permitted under the California law.

Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties will reopen certain businesses with curbside service as outlined by state officials. Other counties are aiming to reach the same goals on different timelines. 

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Alameda County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,917
  • Deaths: 67

Source: Alameda County Public Health Department as of Sunday with data reported through Saturday.

Contra Costa County

  • Confirmed Cases: 999
  • Deaths: 29

Source: Contra Costa Health Services as of Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

Contra Costa County is expanding Covid-19 testing to all residents. In a Thursday announcement, officials said appointments can be made at one of eight facilities countywide regardless of symptoms present or ability to pay. Providers will be billed for those who have insurance — there is no upfront cost for uninsured individuals.

With the expanded access at five county-run drive-through and three state-run walk-in test facilities, Contra Costa Health Services said between 300 and 400 people are currently being tested per day and the agency hopes to increase that capacity five-fold.

Drive-through test appointments available in:

  • Antioch
  • Concord
  • Martinez
  • Pittsburg
  • San Pablo

Walk-in test appointments available in:

  • Brentwood
  • Pinole
  • Walnut Creek

Candace Andersen, Contra Costa Board of Supervisors chair, said in Thursday’s press release:

“We need to test many more county residents to get a better sense of how widespread COVID-19 is in our community and to help prevent its spread.”

Jesse Garnier SFBay Covid-19 dashboard highlighting cumulative cases in Solano County, Calif. as of Thursday, May 7, 2020.

Andersen added:

“Testing will also give us a better idea of when we can relax the current health orders.”

Tests appointments booked between the hours of 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. seven days per week can be made by calling (844) 421-0804. Additional details can be found on the CCHS website.  

Marin County

  • Confirmed Cases: 255
  • Deaths: 14

Source: Marin Health and Human Services as of Thursday.

The Marin County Fair is going virtual as a way to celebrate the area’s crafters and artists despite the fair’s cancellation during the Covid-19 pandemic. There may not be kids hopping from ride to ride with cotton candy stuck to their cheeks, but there will be weekly contests, activities and exhibits hosted on Facebook and Instagram. 

The first contest, which ends Sunday, is themed for the times with a focus on decorated face masks. Between the long list of how-to videos and challenges, fair staff are using the opportunity to encourage family creativity and fun in a shared online experience. 

Young and old can head over to the Virtual Fair at any time of their choosing by visiting the Marin County Fair Facebook page.

Sam Brannan Fireworks above the Marin County Fair.

A total of 31 patients and 26 staff members from the four of the county’s state-licensed skilled nursing facilities have so far tested positive for Covid-19, according to health officials Thursday.

Napa County

  • Confirmed Cases: 78
  • Deaths: 2

Source: Department of Health and Human Services as of Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Napa County was one of three Bay Area jurisdictions that opted to adopt the state’s reopening Stage 2 guidelines effective Friday. 

The area’s confirmed case trend and resulting death rate have remained relatively low since the March 17 shelter orders were issued.


Napa County, like Contra Costa, announced Thursday the expansion of Covid-19 testing accessible to any person who lives or works in the area. The appointments will be administered by appointment regardless of symptoms present. People can request appointments by calling (707) 253-4540 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

San Francisco

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,806
  • Deaths: 32

Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health with data reported Thursday. 

San Francisco’s stance on Stage 2 of the state’s reopening plan effective Friday is basically, ‘not so fast.’ Mayor London Breed said via Twitter Thursday that The City hopes to reopen curbside service for low-risk businesses around May 18. 

San Mateo County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,377
  • Deaths: 56

Source: San Mateo County Health Department with data reported through Wednesday.

County data reflects that the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care unit beds has hovered between 17 and 18 for the past six days. The total number of hospitalizations is slowly trending down — there are currently 58 patients hospitalized.

Santa Clara County

  • Confirmed Cases: 2,281
  • Deaths: 127

Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department as of Thursday. 

In Santa Clara County, where the most Bay Area data has been collected by unfortunate circumstance, at least 6 percent of people who’ve died from Covid-19 have been otherwise healthy with no underlying health conditions. 

Solano County

  • Confirmed Cases: 342
  • Deaths: 7

Source: Solano Public Health as of Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Jesse Garnier SFBay Covid-19 dashboard highlighting cumulative cases in Solano County, Calif. as of Thursday, May 7, 2020.

As Solano County plans to jump on board with Newsom’s next reopening stage, the majority of the area mitigating the virus fairly well. However, Vallejo’s case count steadily rises. The current number of confirmed cases in Vallejo is 195. Fairfield is experiencing the county’s second highest case county with 63 identified patients.

Sonoma County

  • Confirmed Cases: 292
  • Deaths: 3

Source: County of Sonoma with data as of Thursday. 

Bay City News contributed to this report.

Last modified May 7, 2020 10:21 pm

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