coronavirus

Alameda County Becomes COVID-19 Hotspot

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California has topped the 100,000 mark when it comes to COVID-19 cases, and when you break it down by counties in the Bay Area, Alameda is now seeing a spike with Oakland and Hayward being the most affected cities.

The Alameda County Health Officer agrees with people who say it’s still a good idea to continue sheltering at home if you can.

She said the pandemic has slowed but now that restrictions are lifting people are interacting more, so it’s no surprise that the numbers are increasing.

“Somewhere down the line, I don’t know where, I started contemplating suicide,” said Johnny Clark Sr., an Oakland pastor at Word Assembly who is recovering from COVID-19.

He believes he contracted it in New Orleans while celebrating his mother’s 95th birthday.

“I didn’t know it,” he said. “I was getting shorter of breath, my wife called the bishop and he said call the ambulance.”

Clark Sr. spent a month in the hospital, most of his stay on a ventilator.

“It’s horrible, it’s horrible that’s why I don’t understand why people aren’t listening to the professionals,” he said.

A map showing the cases by county for each week in May shows there has been a surge in Alameda County, surpassing Santa Clara County and becoming the hotspot in the Bay Area.

Parts of Oakland and Hayward have reported the most cases.

“So you have one group saying let’s get back into the building and my response is ‘let’s just get tested,’” said Nick Clark Jr., who is a Bishop at his father’s church. “So, I think there is a fear.”

Hayward City Councilman Mark Salinas believes that fear is in the communities he represents.

Coronavirus testing started in Hayward reaching a milestone Wednesday. Ten thousand people now know if they have it or not. “How are we going to beat this?” said Salinas. “It’s testing and sheltering in place. It’s really a matter of life and death.”

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