Coronavirus Pandemic: Alameda County Health Officials Report 29 New Cases, 2 Deaths
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Alameda County health officials announced two new coronavirus deaths Thursday and an additional 29 individuals who have tested positive for the virus.
The fatalities were the 27th and 28th in the Bay Area since the outbreak began more than two months ago. They also came during a particularly deadly 24-hour period in the region. San Francisco reported a new death Thursday while four deaths were reported in San Mateo County on Wednesday.
Like the San Francisco death, Alameda County officials did not reveal any details about either victim. Counting 30 new cases reported Thursday morning by San Mateo County officials, the total number of cases in the Bay Area rose to 1,331. There have been 30 deaths.
Testing has been accelerated over the last few days in Alameda County by a unique facility opened by Hayward officials in a local fire station.
Hayward city officials announced Thursday that 54 of the 207 people who had been tested on the first day of operation at the fire station facility came back with results that were positive for the coronavirus.
They said the samples that tested positive at the city's partner laboratory, Avellino Lab of Menlo Park, were retested and the results then reported immediately to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Confirmed positive results also were shared with the person found to have the infection and later were reported by Hayward to public health officials in the county of residence of the individual.
In most cases, people who test positive through the Hayward Center learned the results in six hours or by the next day.
The Testing Center, at Hayward Fire Station #7, 28270 Huntwood Avenue in South Hayward, was scheduled to open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Generally, the center will be able to process up to 370 samples a day though the daily maximums will fluctuate.
On Thursday and potentially Friday, the number of tests taken at the center will be reduced and the center will close early to allow testing teams of Hayward firefighter-paramedics to conduct mobile targeted testing of vulnerable populations elsewhere in the community.
Under new traffic management practices, people can join drive-up and walk-up lines up until 10 a.m. each morning and again between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the afternoon or until the test site approaches the maximum number of tests that can be performed that day.
The criteria to qualify for testing includes a fever above 100 degrees, those who have recently traveled to Europe or Asia, anyone with either confirmed or suspected exposure, anyone over 65 years of age, individuals with chronic disease or a compromised immune system, any women who are currently or recently pregnant, individuals with diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or neurological disease and the homeless.
