State Monitoring Alameda County: Coronavirus

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — California has added Alameda County to its monitoring list as officials grow wary of an apparent increase in the COVID-19 transmission rate.

The number of cases of the coronavirus has surpassed what county officials might expect to see as a result of increased testing, the county Health Care Services Agency said Sunday in a news release.

Officials believe the increase is due to interactions without face coverings and social distancing. COVID-19 continues to spread among health care workers, within homes, in frontline workplaces and in living facilities including skilled nursing facilities, the county said.

There were more than 7,700 cases of the coronavirus in Alameda County as of Friday, the most recent day for which data was available. Nearly 150 deaths have been linked to COVID-19.

"Although Alameda County reopened more slowly, our epidemic is affected by accelerated reopening across the region and state, as our residents often live, work and recreate across county boundaries," Alameda County said in the news release.

Alameda County announced Friday that recent state guidelines indicated that outdoor dining must cease since the county has not attained a Stage 2 variance, which would allow it to move further into the state's four-tiered reopening plan. The county said it still intends to seek a variance, though it will reopen sectors of the economy as it sees fit, based on data.

When counties are added to the monitoring list, they must cease indoor and outdoor operations of bars, breweries, pubs and brewpubs, and close indoor operations at restaurants, wineries/tasting rooms, movie theaters, zoos, museums, cardrooms and family entertainment centers such as bowling alleys. Alameda County is not impacted by this because officials have not yet allowed such businesses to reopen.

Counties that have been added to the monitoring list receive targeted support from state officials. After three days they must abide by state restrictions and are subject to enforcement, Alameda County said.

Bay Area counties also on the state's monitoring list include Contra Costa and Marin.

Read the county's press release here.