The number of patients in California hospitals with COVID-19 this week reached its highest point in five months, as the state’s test positivity rate has continued to climb this summer amid growing virus transmission.
There were 1,668 total hospital patients with COVID-19 in California as of Aug. 26, according to the most recent state data. That’s 182 more than the previous week, according to Thursday’s weekly update from the California Department of Public Health.
The latest total is the state’s highest total since March 27, when CDPH recorded 1,694 hospital patients with COVID-19 in California. The number at that point had been on a steady decline from the state’s high point to date in 2023, of 4,605 hospitalized patients on Jan. 2.
The hospital number stopped dropping on July 4 with 681 patients and has been climbing ever since.
California’s seven-day test positivity rate was at 14%, based on state health data updated Thursday, reflecting data through Tuesday. That’s an increase from 12.4% positivity the week before.
California’s positivity rate has been climbing since May 5, when it was at 3.4%, and is now at its highest point since July 2022.
COVID-19 in four-county Sacramento region
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Sacramento County dropped while the test positivity rate increased again. The three other counties in Sacramento’s four-county region had slight drops in test positivity rate, but the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased.
There were 60 total hospital patients with COVID-19 in Sacramento County as of Aug. 26, according to the most recent state data. The county had 74 COVID patients one week earlier, according to CDPH.
The seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate in Sacramento County was at 15.8%, based on state health data updated Thursday, showing figures through Tuesday. That’s an increase from 13.5% from the week before. The county’s seven-day positivity rate has been climbing since it was 4% on June 28, its lowest point so far this year.
Two weeks ago, Yolo County officials alerted residents of an increase in COVID-19 activity locally. The county’s public health officer, Dr. Aimee Sisson, urged residents to be vigilant and take preventive measures.
As of Tuesday, the county’s seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate dropped slightly to 14%. That’s a decline by 0.8% from the previous week; the number has been trending up since July 2, when it was 4.3%. The number of hospital patients with COVID-19, however, increased to seven people hospitalized in the county as of Aug. 26. There were four patients a week before.
In Placer County, the seven-day test positivity rate dropped by 0.2%, to 15% as of Tuesday. The county’s seven-day rate has climbed from its low point this year, of 4% on June 22. There were 46 total hospital patients with COVID-19 in the county as of Aug. 26, eight more patients than the previous week.
Through Tuesday, the seven-day test positivity rate for El Dorado County was 17.4%, a decline by 2.8 percentage points from the previous week. The county’s rate has been on steep climb since it dropped to 2% on June 27. There were two hospital patients with COVID-19 in the county as of Aug. 26, up from one a week earlier.
