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Sonoma County has nearly one-thousand new coronavirus cases. The county health department reported 954 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, raising Sonoma County’s total number of cases so far to 62-thousand-980. Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase says our case rates are reaching new levels not seen in the two years of the pandemic.
“A month ago we were averaging about 90 new cases a day. Now we are averaging more than 1,250 cases per day,” says Dr. Mase. “Our six hospitals in Sonoma County are being stressed due to staffing shortages and bed capacity issues.”
No new deaths were reported, leaving the county’s death toll from the pandemic at 426. Health officials believe the number of cases may be under reported, as those who take rapid at home tests may not be reporting their results to the county, and there are also likely many people who are positive but asymptomatic.
Also, Sonoma County Supervisors are set to review the most recent health order. Health Officer Dr. Mase and other local health officails are expected to join the online session along with Sonoma County Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Steve Herrington. The Board of Supervisors chair James Gore has said he wants to hear the “ground-truth” from health and education leaders on the impact of the omicron surge. The new health order issued last week has banned large indoor and outdoor gatherings for 30 days and has received backlash from business and educational leaders in the county.