Small Town Hotspot: Galt Has Highest COVID-19 Rate Per Capita In Sacramento County
GALT (CBS13) — One of the smallest cities in Sacramento County is also one of the biggest hotspots for coronavirus. Galt is now seeing a surge in cases and the number of people dying.
Jose Gutierrez, a vendor at the Galt Market, is concerned about the high number of COVID-19 cases in Galt.
"It's kind of scary. I don't want to die tomorrow," Gutierrez said. "A lot of people are saying they lost a friend, they lost a brother, they lost a husband."
He and other vendors at the Galt Market say customers seem to be doing what they can to help stay safe.
"Most of the people, they bring their masks," he said.
But county health department statistics show Galt has the highest per capita coronavirus rate of any city in Sacramento County, and that number is rapidly growing.
At the end of November,Galt had 969 cases. On Wednesday, the city had 1,807 -- an 87 percent increase in just one month. Since the pandemic began, 19 people have died from the virus in Galt.
As of Wednesday, Sacramento County has reported more than 64,400 COVID cases and 844 deaths.
See the latest Coronavirus numbers in the Greater Sacramento Region here.
Health department officials say Galt also had high infection numbers early in the pandemic. Hotspots continue to be multi-generational households and migrant workers
CBS13 asked if Galt is increasing outreach or enforcement, but city officials did not respond to our questions Wednesday evening. The city does offer free COVID-19 testing one day a week at the Chabolla Community Center.
As COVID continues to spread, those who live and work in Galt hope more people take the virus seriously.
"Keep the cautions of the masks and the distance from each other because people gather up a lot and you just can't control it," Carlos Macias said.
Galt city leaders are concerned for local businesses and are asking the state for more funding.
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