Sonoma County reports five new COVID-19 deaths ahead of Thanksgiving

Five more Sonoma County residents have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease to 155 people.

“These are very sad,” said Paul Gullixson, spokesman for Sonoma County on Saturday. “Each one represents a tragedy in our community.”

Gullixson said the report underscores county officials’ messages to residents heading into the Thanksgiving holiday: that people gathering with family or friends outside of their immediate households will continue to contribute to the spread of the virus, and that it remains a deadly risk to elderly people in particular.

All of the residents reported late Friday night on the county’s coronavirus data portal to have died from COVID-19 were men. Four were older than 65, Gullixson said. One man was between the ages of 50 and 64.

All died in hospitals, Gullixson said, but none of them had been living in any type of skilled nursing or residential care facility before entering the hospital during their illness.

The first two men died Nov. 14, followed by another on Monday. On Tuesday, two other men, including the youngest of the five, died.

Sonoma County also reported 47 new COVID-19 cases Friday night. The county’s total active cases was 2,045.

Gullixson said the numbers reflect the wave of rising infections affecting not only Sonoma County, but the rest of California and much of the United States, as well.

“The spread is real,” he said. "And as usual, it’s our oldest and most vulnerable residents who are paying the biggest price.“

Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County health officer, has asked residents to opt for virtual celebrations during Thanksgiving and Christmas, and to limit groups to 12 people or fewer from no more than three households if people do choose to get together.

Those who are gathering are encouraged to wear masks and socially distance.

Another measure intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus went into place Saturday in California counties in the most restrictive tier of the reopening plan: a nightly curfew implemented by the California Department of Public Health.

From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night through Dec. 21, nonessential activities outside of the home are prohibited. Those activities do not include things such as a grocery run, getting gas, or walking a dog, provided that residents don’t mix with other households while doing so.

You can reach Staff Writer Kaylee Tornay at 707-521-5250 or kaylee.tornay@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ka_tornay.