The country, including the Bay Area, is moving ahead to loosen restrictions and reopen economies, albeit at different paces and with varying results. Spikes in case counts, especially in places like Arizona and Kern County are setting off some alarms about another surge in a pandemic that’s taken nearly 114,000 lives in just the U.S.
Still, the train moves along under pressure to ease devastating financial burdens most people are experiencing under extended shelter orders. Here’s a look at where we’re in the Bay Area and beyond.
Open SFBay Bay Area coronavirus dashboard in new window.Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Thursday at 6:33 p.m.
The number of new cases in Arizona has nearly doubled in the past two weeks, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services and independent SFBay tracking. As of Thursday, just Maricopa County accounts for more than half of the state’s 31,264 confirmed Covid-19 cases and nearly half of the state’s total deaths.
Gov. Doug Ducey was slow to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, making Arizona one of just 10 states without a shelter order at the state, county or city level until the afternoon of March 30. Even more, he barred localities from implementing smaller-scale community orders as the pandemic took hold. The limited one-month order he did issue, allowing several non-essential businesses to remain open, expired April 30.
Even as case counts soars, current state health orders permit residents to dine at indoor restaurants, visit barbershops and salons, shop inside retail establishments, use public pools, work out at gyms and attend religious services without limits on crowd size.
Several states, including California, are experiencing spikes in daily case reporting — the nation as a whole has surpassed two million cases. But according to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center data through Wednesday, South Carolina, Arkansas, Nevada, Michigan and Vermont join Arizona as areas where the upward trend is alarming.
The Covid-19 spike in the U.S. is largely blamed for Thursday’s 1,860-point tumble in Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Open SFBay USA coronavirus tracker.Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Thursday at 6:33 p.m.
Now reporting more than 3,000 cases and 51 deaths, officials are turning an eye toward Kern County where the pandemic impact has grown substantially since June 1. County data is fairly limited and does not yet break down hospitalization rates or bed capacities. However, Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Also said:
“We are seeing elevated transmission of COVID-19, along with elevated hospitalization rates. These trends if they continue may impact how we continue to reopen locally.”
According to California Department of Public Health reporting, Kern County now ranks seventh highest in the state for new cases reported daily.
Source: Alameda County Public Health Department as of Thursday with data reported through Wednesday.
Alameda County is three days into a revised health order that allows for gatherings of “social bubbles” and reopening of childcare services and some additional businesses.
As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed infections among Oakland residents has grown to 1,621 — Hayward is reporting a total of 747.
Source: Contra Costa Health Services as of Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
Health officials said in a press release Thursday that the state granted the county a variance that allows greater local control over how and when activities and businesses are permitted to resume.
Hair salons and barbershops could open for business as soon as Wednesday. The statement also said:
“Indoor dining, bars, gyms and fitness centers, hotels and some indoor entertainment venues may follow July 1.”
Those plans are contingent on case and hospitalization trajectory, personal protective equipment supply on hand, hospital surge capacity, testing frequency and local discretion, among other things required by the state. The county filed an attestation this week and was granted the same variance already given to Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
There was a spike in new cases with 68 new cases reported Monday, up from 38 the day prior. The last few days of data are not yet fully reported.
The cumulative deaths in Contra Costa County match those in San Francisco, where there are more than 1,000 additional cases reported.
Source: Marin Health and Human Services as of Thursday.
A pop-up Novato test site will open Friday at Hamilton School at no cost to patients. According to a health department update, the county especially encourages people who work with the public to utilize the free testing service. Results should be returned within 3 to 5 days. Tests are administered by appointment only and after a “light clinical evaluation.”
Also Friday, indoor retail, auto dealerships and personal cleaning services are allowed to resume operations under modified county health guidelines.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services as of Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health with data reported through Wednesday.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin is hoping the Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday to move forward with a variance request that, if granted, would allow The City to move through the second reopening phase at a faster pace, specifically naming bars and indoor dining as areas of concern. It’s been a tentative plan to reopen bars mid-August.
Source: San Mateo County Health Department with data reported through Wednesday.
The county reported 44 Covid-19 patients hospitalized as of Tuesday, nine of which required intensive care unit beds. Health officials are reporting a 5.5 percent infection positivity rate based on 42,356 tests administered.
Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department as of Thursday.
Despite falling behind Alameda County in total number of infections, Santa Clara County still maintains the highest number of Covid-19 deaths within the Bay Area region. Officials report that 44 was the highest number of cases reported on any one day since late April.
Source: Solano Public Health as of Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Officials say that 17 Covid-19 patients are currently being hospitalized countywide. The city of Vallejo, with 330 reported infections, accounts for more than half of the area’s total cases.
Source: County of Sonoma with data as of Thursday at 9:35 p.m.
Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Thursday at 6:33 p.m.
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