Shasta County’s first COVID-19 report since last Wednesday shows an additional 225 cases from Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a total of 7,792. The death toll remains at 70. An estimated 344 people have the virus right now, 46 of them hospitalized and 6 of them in intensive care.
Butte County has reported 7,051 cases and 88 deaths.
Tehama County has had 3,222 cases and 34 deaths.
Trinity County has had 3 deaths among 269 cases.
1,111 have been reported in Siskiyou County with 9 deaths.
Glenn County has had 1,336 cases and 14 deaths.
Humboldt County has had 1,648 cases and 20 deaths.
Lassen County has had 7 deaths among their 1371 cases in the community and one death among the 3,202 cases in prison.
Modoc County has reached 313 cases.
The regional ICU capacity has improved slightly to 29.3%. A drop to 15% would trigger the stay at home order that’s already imposed on most of the state. Intensive care units in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley have no capacity remaining. Governor Newsom said his stay-home order would be extended.
A huge U.S. study of another possible COVID-19 vaccine is getting underway as states continue to roll out scarce supplies of the first shots cleared for emergency use. Doses of one vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech and another made by Moderna are rationed and more options are critical to amassing enough shots for the country and the world. Novavax is recruiting 30,000 volunteers to test its shot, a different kind. Still others are in the pipeline. Johnson & Johnson hopes to know next month if its one-dose option works. And Britain is considering green lighting an AstraZeneca shot.
Shasta County is currently issuing vaccinations to health care workers, of which there are nearly 14,000 in the county, as well as residents of long term care facilities. Other segments of the population will be vaccinated as supplies increase.
Local healthcare leaders are pleading with the public to slow the spread through the practices that have been recommended for months: Stay home and away from other people as much as possible and wear face coverings when going out. It’s up to everyone to protect those who are most vulnerable, and those who work in jobs that don’t give them the option to work remotely.
Public health is strongly urging everyone to get tested. It’s free and convenient with sites in Shasta Lake, Anderson, North Redding, Enterprise and Shasta College. The testing site at Breslauer Way has been moved to the Senior Hall on Benton Drive. Testing is by appointment only at lhi.care/covidtesting or visit shastaready.org.