Deaths from COVID-19 expected to pass 100 in Solano County
(Graphic by Solano News Update)
The number of fatalities related to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is expected to cross 100 sometime within the next week or so as county health officials prepare for a surge in data related to Christmas holiday infections and deaths.
As of Wednesday evening, Solano County health officials said 98 people had died from the virus since the county and state began collecting data earlier this year.
In an interview with the Daily Republic newspaper, Solano County’s chief health officer said a surge in infections and deaths is expected as his staff continues to process death certificates and review infection data from the Christmas holiday.
Solano County residents were strongly urged to remain at home during the Christmas holiday, just as they were during the Thanksgiving one. But many ignored the request around Thanksgiving — made worse in some part by local law enforcement statements that said officers would not be enforcing a then-enacted overnight stay-at-home order request — and the number of infections and deaths increased then.
The same is expected to repeat itself as county health officials process Christmas weekend data, even though Solano County was recently forced to roll out tougher, around-the-clock restrictions on residents and businesses that largely banned non-essential travel and in-person gatherings.
Based on a review of data, Solano News Update projected on Wednesday that county health officials would likely declare 100 or more deaths caused by the novel coronavirus by the middle of next week, if not earlier.
As of Wednesday evening, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Solano County stood at 98. County health officials said there were 2,138 active cases in the region and 19,008 overall cases since the start of the pandemic, which includes thousands of people who have recovered from the immediate effects of the virus.
The number of active and total cases is likely higher because not everyone gets tested for COVID-19. Health experts say some people, particularly younger individuals, may believe they’ve been afflicted with a cold or mild flu, while others are asymptomatic carriers who are more likely to infect other people without knowing it.
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