Sacramento County COVID-19 cases increase, but not hospitalizations – KCRA Sacramento
COVID-19 cases are rising in Sacramento County but the “incremental” increase is not driving a corresponding rise in hospitalizations or deaths, according to the county. The seven-day average case rate in Sacramento County was 7.7 per 100,000 people, according to an update on the county’s dashboard on Wednesday. That was up from 5.5 cases per 100,000 people the previous week. COVID-19 hospitalizations were listed as 57 cases, the same number as the prior week. “We are seeing an increase in cases, consistent with the rest of the country,” Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said in a statement to KCRA 3. “However, our hospitalizations and deaths are not seeing the same incremental increase as cases, which shows that vaccinations are working as intended.” Kasirye urged people to take advantage of free vaccination clinics and recommended that people mask up in some cases. “It is important for people to remain up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations,” she said. “Masks are still highly recommended when going out in public, especially in crowded places and especially for people at increased risk for severe disease.”According to the county’s dashboard, the test positivity rate for COVID-19 tests conducted last week was 8.3%. That rate includes only PCR tests and results are updated on Tuesdays. A month ago on March 29, the seven-day rate was 6.7%. Meanwhile, California’s Department of Public Health said on Thursday that it was working with Sacramento County “to understand possible causes” of a discrepancy between how the county’s dashboard reports its test positivity rate and a corresponding state dashboard. The statement came after KCRA 3 pointed out that Sacramento County’s dashboard has a positivity rate that is much higher than the state’s. For example, as of April 20, the county listed its seven-day test positivity rate as 7.1%, according to its dashboard. But a dashboard maintained by the state showed a seven-day rate of 3.1% for April 20. The state’s dashboard showed a rate of 1.7% a month ago.“I can’t speak to state methods but our reporting is PCR only cases,” county spokesperson Samantha Mott said. CDPH said that both dashboards include only molecular tests for test positivity. A PCR test is a molecular test, in contrast to antigen tests.Earlier this week, Yolo County health officials also cited a rise in cases.The county said Tuesday that the BA.2.12.1 subvariant appeared to be driving the surge. The subvariant is estimated to be 30% more contagious than BA.2, which was first detected in late March on the UC Davis campus.
COVID-19 cases are rising in Sacramento County but the “incremental” increase is not driving a corresponding rise in hospitalizations or deaths, according to the county.
The seven-day average case rate in Sacramento County was 7.7 per 100,000 people, according to an update on the county’s dashboard on Wednesday. That was up from 5.5 cases per 100,000 people the previous week.
Advertisement
COVID-19 hospitalizations were listed as 57 cases, the same number as the prior week.
“We are seeing an increase in cases, consistent with the rest of the country,” Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said in a statement to KCRA 3. “However, our hospitalizations and deaths are not seeing the same incremental increase as cases, which shows that vaccinations are working as intended.”
Kasirye urged people to take advantage of free vaccination clinics and recommended that people mask up in some cases.
“It is important for people to remain up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations,” she said. “Masks are still highly recommended when going out in public, especially in crowded places and especially for people at increased risk for severe disease.”
According to the county’s dashboard, the test positivity rate for COVID-19 tests conducted last week was 8.3%. That rate includes only PCR tests and results are updated on Tuesdays. A month ago on March 29, the seven-day rate was 6.7%.
Meanwhile, California’s Department of Public Health said on Thursday that it was working with Sacramento County “to understand possible causes” of a discrepancy between how the county’s dashboard reports its test positivity rate and a corresponding state dashboard.
The statement came after KCRA 3 pointed out that Sacramento County’s dashboard has a positivity rate that is much higher than the state’s.
For example, as of April 20, the county listed its seven-day test positivity rate as 7.1%, according to its dashboard.
But a dashboard maintained by the state showed a seven-day rate of 3.1% for April 20. The state’s dashboard showed a rate of 1.7% a month ago.
“I can’t speak to state methods but our reporting is PCR only cases,” county spokesperson Samantha Mott said.
CDPH said that both dashboards include only molecular tests for test positivity. A PCR test is a molecular test, in contrast to antigen tests.
Earlier this week, Yolo County health officials also cited a rise in cases.
The county said Tuesday that the BA.2.12.1 subvariant appeared to be driving the surge. The subvariant is estimated to be 30% more contagious than BA.2, which was first detected in late March on the UC Davis campus.
