Inside the numbers: Sacramento coronavirus cases continue to rise with 154 new cases Friday

SACRAMENTO, Calif — Sacramento County set its record number of new coronavirus cases in one day for the second time in one week.

On Monday, county officials reported 131 new cases, and then, on Friday, officials reported 154 new cases. Both reports set new records from the previous peak in mid-April.

Sacramento County Department of Public Health spokesperson Janna Haynes said the numbers are alarming.

"We continue to see a pretty drastic increase in cases," Haynes said. "Today, we were at 154 new cases." 

However, the increase in cases has yet to garner attention or concern from the state. The California Department of Public Health placed the threshold at 100 cases per 100,000 residents for the 14-day case rate, and Sacramento is currently under that threshold.

The county was recently placed on the state's watchlist for the rise in coronavirus hospitalizations. Currently, Sacramento County has 73 people in the hospital who are infected with the coronavirus.

Elsewhere in California, at least four counties are halting or preparing to backtrack on their efforts to reopen local economies. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he wants agricultural Imperial County to reimpose stay-at-home orders due to a high rate of positive tests. San Francisco and Marin counties halted the planned reopening of some businesses and San Bernardino County officials are sounding the alarm about whether they'll have enough hospital beds.

RELATED: 

• Sacramento County's rising rate of coronavirus patients causes concern
• 4 coronavirus cases tied to police reform protests, Sacramento County officials say
• Latino communities see disproportionate rise in coronavirus infections
• Coronavirus Cases: Latest coronavirus numbers for the Sacramento region

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COVID-19 BACKGROUND

According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Currently, there is no vaccine; however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.

WHY HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE SO CONCERNED

Some people have compared the low overall death toll to the flu's high annual death toll in the United States as a reason not to be concerned about COVID-19. However, doctors and health officials are concerned about three main reasons:

1. There's no vaccine yet and won't be one for until early 2021, at the soonest. Scientists are still researching what other medications could help patients. 
2. Some people have built up immunity to the flu, but few have immunity to the COVID-19 version of coronavirus. 
3. Droplets spread both the flu and COVID-19, but COVID-19 might be spread in the air. Scientists are researching how COVID-19 spreads.