COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Rise In Alameda County

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — Alameda County had more cases of COVID-19 at the end of December than at any previous point in the pandemic, data shows.

The county health care services agency reported 1,672 new cases on Dec. 27, double the number from the day before. On Dec. 28, 1,756 cases were reported as the omicron variant forces schools to close and taxing the healthcare system.

Statewide, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has multiplied by five in two weeks, as the Associated Press reported. Hospitalizations also doubled.

So far in the new year, the number of cases reported has been much lower. On Jan. 2, 837 new cases were reported and 202 reported on Jan. 6.

Hospitalizations are rising again in Alameda County to levels not seen since January of 2021. On Jan. 5, 218 people were hospitalized across the county, with 38 of these people needing intensive care.

Deaths have not increased in proportion to the number of cases and hospitalizations; five people have died since Dec. 26 in the county.

The number of vaccinated people continues to rise; 79.8 percent of Alameda County residents are fully vaccinated, and close to 47 percent of those residents have gotten a booster shot. The countywide percentage of boosted residents is higher than the state average of 38 percent. The Bay Area leads the state in booster vaccinations, according to CalMatters.