COVID-19 cases continued their upward trend over the weekend, with 27 new cases reported Friday and 30 Saturday. Sunday numbers are not yet available. Shasta County’s death toll from the virus is 29 among a total of 1,723 confirmed infections. The new patients include 22 men and 35 women from their teens to their 70’s, with many cases trending younger. There are 153 active cases. 9 are hospitalized with one in intensive care. 396 people are quarantined due to possible exposure.
Butte County has now had 3,002 cases with 51 deaths. Tehama County has had 742 cases and 8 deaths. 23 cases have been confirmed in Trinity County. Glenn County has had 642 cases and 3 deaths. Lassen County has had one death among 116 cases in the community and 637 in prison. There have been 184 in Siskiyou County with one death and 533 in Humboldt County with 8 deaths. Modoc County has reported 27 cases.
Shasta County officials have been pleading with the state to avert the move to the most restrictive purple tier, arguing that recent outbreaks have largely been driven by nursing homes and Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and steps have been taken to contain the spread. Officials say spread of the disease has not been identified in the sectors that will face further restrictions with the move to the purple tier. The request for a stay was denied and the additional restrictions will be mandated by Friday. A full list of restrictions can be seen at shastaready.org.
Since the start of September, Shasta County’s infection rate has been far beyond the state average. Public health says that no single prevention method is perfect, so they recommend a layered approach, using a combination of physical distancing, ventilation, face coverings, hand washing and surface cleaning.
There have been 57,293 negative tests in Shasta County. There are several free options to get tested, which can be found by going to shastaready.org and clicking on “get tested”.
The Governor says California won’t allow any distribution of new Coronavirus vaccines in the state until review by the state’s own panel of experts. Newsom named 11 doctors and scientists to review any rollout of vaccines by the federal government or vaccine developers. The pledge raises the possibility that California residents might not receive a vaccine as distribution begins in other states.