Third COVID-19 death reported in a week

A Sutter County resident in their mid-80s died over the weekend due to COVID-19, the third local death since last Tuesday.

All three people who died due to the virus within the last week had been hospitalized for several weeks prior.

“I continue to have ongoing concerns regarding the very high rate of community transmission,” said Bi-county Health Officer Dr.

Phuong Luu. “We have one of the highest rates of test positivity in the state: Sutter (County) with 19.8 percent test positivity and Yuba (County) with 15.3 percent test positivity. This means that one out of five individuals who are getting tested for COVID-19 in Sutter (County) test positive, and nearly one in six individuals who are tested in Yuba (County)

test positive.”

Luu said the local figures are alarming given that they are much higher than the state’s test positivity of 6.6 percent.

“We are at very real risk of having a surge on top of a surge in the next couple of weeks, postThanksgiving,” Luu said.

Local residents who attended social gatherings with people outside of their own household over the holidays are being

asked to limit their interactions with others, especially those with underlying medical conditions, elderly people or pregnant women.

“Please at least do your part in not spreading it to others by being diligent in wearing a mask and social distancing when in contact with anyone you don’t live with; and isolating yourself at home, away from others, if you have any

symptoms … and while awaiting test results,” she said. “A need to test is a need to isolate.”

The number of confirmed cases increased by 238 on Monday, bringing the area’s total to 5,723 cases.

Forty-eight people were hospitalized as of Monday evening, while 183 residents recovered from the virus. Twentyseven local residents have died due to COVID-19.