High COVID-19 death toll for Sonoma County in April

May 15—Last month, seven Sonoma County residents died of COVID-19, an unusually high number for the month of April during the three-year public health emergency, which has been declared officially over.

According to local public health data, there is no indication that COVID-19 is making any kind of resurgence. Local health officials on Monday did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

All of the seven COVID-19 deaths in April involved residents with underlying health conditions. Some were vaccinated and some were not. Six were aged 70 or older and one was between 55 and 65.

Throughout the pandemic, elderly residents in poor health were among the most likely to suffer the worst outcomes of COVID-19 infection.

The deaths bring the COVID-19 fatality total to 561. During the pandemic, the month of April usually saw a lull in COVID-19 infections and deaths. April 2020, 2021, 2022 saw one, four and two pandemic fatalities, respectively.

This spring has seen a continued decline in the local spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 illness, according to wastewater surveillance from Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma and Windsor.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has also declined in recent weeks.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.

___

(c)2023 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)

Visit The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) at www.pressdemocrat.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.