Healdsburg's COVID-19 Case Count; County ICU Bed Availability

HEALDSBURG, CA — More than 5,600 Sonoma County residents were battling the coronavirus as of Wednesday, the most recent day for which data was available as of this writing. The COVID-19 case count continues to rise in Healdsburg and beyond.

Some 19,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Sonoma County since the beginning of the pandemic, including 601 cases in Healdsburg — three percent of all Sonoma County cases — according to county data. About 150 of Healdsburg's cases are still active.

More than 190 deaths countywide have been linked to COVID-19, meaning one in 100 Sonoma County COVID-19 cases reported have resulted in death.

Earlier this week, the state reported that 90 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized, with about 20 intensive care unit beds available. Statewide, hospital admissions appear to have plateaued in recent days. This is consistent with trends across the state, "the major exception" being Southern California, where Los Angeles County has been hit hardest, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.

The nine-county Bay Area plus Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, is seeing an average of 8.5 percent ICU capacity.

ICU capacity is the key factor state officials consider when determining whether a county may be removed from the regional stay-at-home order, which shut down outdoor dining, bars, salons and more, and set tighter restrictions on other sectors.

The stay-at-home order is slated to end Jan. 8 in the Bay Area, at which time state officials will review ICU availability projections four weeks in advance before determining whether Sonoma County and others may exit the stay-at-home order and return to the four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk assessment system.