January becomes Sonoma County’s deadliest month of coronavirus pandemic

With nearly two weeks remaining in January, the first month of 2021 already has become Sonoma County’s deadliest stretch of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, county health officials reported that five more people had died from complications of COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the virus. That brings to 47 the number of deaths reported so far in January and to 239 the total deaths since the pandemic began last March.

County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase described the mounting death toll as “heartbreaking.”

Lynda Hopkins, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors, said the spate of virus-related fatalities represents a “call to community grief, but also a call to community action, which is that we need to take COVID-19 absolutely seriously and do everything in our powers to slow the spread of the virus.”

The 47 deaths reported through 18 days of January surpass the previous pandemic high of 43 virus-related fatalities during the entire month of August, and 42 more in September, during the height of the summer surge.

“Our hearts go out to all those families and those individuals who have suffered with COVID, and we just got to get that vaccine distributed and into the arms of as many people as possible, so that we can try to mitigate this,” Mase said.

For weeks, local health officials and medical professionals have been saying the coronavirus resurgence could be far deadlier than last summer’s fatal run. At that time, fatalities largely were driven by multiple virus outbreaks among staff and vulnerable residents in skilled nursing centers and assisted living homes.

Now, 10 months into the pandemic, the virus is far more widespread in the county than it was in the summer. Also, the virus is claiming more lives in the general population, outside of senior care sites.

Today COVID-19 deaths among residents of area senior care homes comprise 64% of overall deaths. In September, those elderly residents accounted for 80% of all deaths.

“Now we're seeing a greater proportion of (fatalities) in people that are at home, and potentially even younger,” Mase said. “So, it just means ... we have so many cases and widespread transmission, that is a reflection of that.”

Details about the latest five residents who died from COVID-19 could not be obtained Monday, because county public health offices were closed for the Martin Luther King holiday.

Supervisor Chris Coursey, who joined the board this month after defeating longtime incumbent Shirlee Zane in the November election, underscored the need for greater vigilance around adherence to the public health rules to combat the virus, as the ongoing vaccine rollout takes time.

“You know, I'm glad that vaccines are starting to get into people's arms, but it's pretty clear that the production and distribution of vaccines is not going to save us yet, in the short term,” Coursey said. “We still need to act to save ourselves, to save our neighbors and friends and family members by just following the guidelines.”

On Monday, county health officials reported 241 new virus infections for a total of 23,502 cases overall. Of these, 5,902 cases are active, while 17,361 residents have recovered.

The number of new coronavirus cases hovers at about 50 new daily infections per 100,000 Sonoma County residents.

The number of residents hospitalized with the virus was 101 as of Sunday, and of these 17 people are being treated in hospital intensive-care units, according to a state COVID-19 computer dashboard tracking coronavirus hospitalizations. Sonoma County hospitals reported 15 available ICU beds, or 21% of local medical center’s roughly 65 staffed ICU beds.

The Bay Area region, which Sonoma is a part, only had 3.4% of total hospital ICU beds available as of Friday, the latest data available.

Before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, county public health officials warned residents against gathering with friends and extended family for celebrations. The fallout, they said, would be greater virus transmission in the community and, consequently, more hospitalizations and deaths.

“What breaks my heart is that some of these fatalities were likely a result of people gathering together during the holidays,” Hopkins said, of the recent local fatalities.

“It's hard to stay apart and yet now more than ever, we need to double down on masking on social distancing, keeping our loved ones close via text message and phone call and Zoom, but not physically.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.