During a windy press conference at Lake Merritt on Friday, Oakland and Alameda County officials implored residents to step up their vigilance in following health guidelines, as local cases of the coronavirus continue to rise sharply in the city and county.
Much of the spread has been linked to large gatherings at popular areas like the lake, said Oakland Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas, who urged residents to keep wearing face coverings and stay at least 6 feet apart from each other.
“What we are seeing is an alarming spike in the cases of COVID,” she said. “And we are also seeing that much of that spike is because of gatherings and parties, including among young people — almost 40% of the cases.”
Health officials expect the total number of cases in the county to top 10,000 this weekend, a threefold increase from early June. More than 4,000 of those cases are in Oakland, with Latinx and Black residents disproportionately impacted.
“When we look at the county as a whole, Oakland's numbers are most concerning. And when we look at East Oakland, the case rates are double and even triple the rest of Oakland,” said Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO of Roots Community Health Center in East Oakland. “So things are heading in the wrong direction at the same time that people seem to be letting down their guard.”
— Matthew Green (@MGreenKQED)