Coronavirus Surge: Sacramento County Sees Nearly 100 New Cases Overnight
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) - With the start of summer here, crowds of rafters gathered on the American River. But the day also marked the biggest overnight spike in coronavirus cases in Sacramento County, adding nearly a hundred new positives to the overall count.
Josh Neff enjoyed the day on the river, wanting to get outside amid the coronavirus pandemic. He didn't know he was showing up to large crowds, a part of an even bigger rafting event - 'Rafting Gone Wild.' Still despite the number of people, he said he felt safe.
"I think if we all use common sense and judgment – respect each other's space, we'll weather the storm," Neff said.
Hundreds of others on the river had the same idea, despite cases of COVID-19 creeping up the scale daily in Sacramento. The county added nearly 100 overnight. That's another layer of concern for people like Therisa Xiong.
"It's very worrisome, very scary and this is actually our first time coming out in a very long time," Xiong said.
Sacramento County previously said large gatherings are playing a major role in the uptick. But out on the American River, folks believe they can recreate responsibly.
"I do understand there's still a potential with the virus still in the air overall, but with this distance, I think it's still pretty safe," Theresa, another rafter, said.
There's likely many more gatherings that could be had this weekend with warm summer weather, and Father's Day on Sunday.
State health officials have noted some of these day to day spikes could be because of delayed testing and more positive cases are expected as more testing happens. Statewide our hospitalization rate remains stable. In Sacramento County, 34 people are in the hospital. Thirteen of those are in the intensive care unit.