Alameda County surpassed 30,000 total reported covid-19 on Thursday as the number of new cases continues to spike.
The Alameda County Public Health Department reported 30,330 covid-19 cases since the pandemic began last March. The number of deaths is now 520.
After the county hit a high point in new daily cases on Aug. 13, the rate of new infections steadily fell by mid-October. The lull in new infections, however, came roaring back as the weather cooled and some public health orders were loosened.
On Nov. 23, Alameda County registered 546 new cases, by far the highest one-day tally ever, and wiping out all the gains made in stifling the virus last the late summer.
-Click here for covid-19 cases by Alameda County cities
Oakland continues to lead all cities with 10,884 total cases, but adjusted for population, Hayward and most of the neighboring unincorporated areas of Alameda County have the highest rate of reported covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents.
The percentage of Intensive Care Unit beds in Alameda County continues remain relatively flat, although the rapid rise in new cases threatens to push availability to dangerous levels.
As of Dec. 1, 70 percent of all ICU beds are occupied, according to the county public health department. In addition, roughly 30 percent of all ventilators are in use.
The statistics take on greater scrutiny after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that new stay-at-home restrictions are imminent if specific regions in the state fall under 15 percent of available ICU beds. The Bay Area region, which includes Alameda County, is current at 72 percent capacity.
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