Salinas Valley Memorial hospital confirms another Covid-19 death; Health Department is now reporting patients' race and ethnicity.

A person who was hospitalized at Salinas Valley Memorial hospital has died of complications of Covid-19, spokesperson Karina Rusk confirmed on Wednesday, April 8. It would make the county's third death due to Covid-19, although it had not been reported by the Monterey County Health Department as of 5pm. It was the first Covid-19 death at SVMHS.

Rusk would only say the patient was in the 65-and-up age bracket. The Monterey County Sheriff's Department released more information about the patient, who was 92. (The Weekly is not releasing names of Covid-19 fatalities at this time.)

On April 7, the Monterey County Health Department began including race and ethnicity data in its chart of Covid-19 case data. Some had been asking for the data for weeks. In a press briefing by phone on Wednesday, Health Officer Edward Moreno said he finally had a large enough amount of data to begin including race and ethnicity.

So far, the rates appear to be following the county’s overall ethnic makeup, but it may be too soon to tell. Monterey County is about 60-percent Hispanic or Latino and 30-percent white, according to U.S. Census numbers for 2019. As of April 8, the number of positive Covid-19 cases comprises 56-percent Hispanic or Latino patients. Whites make up 17 percent of confirmed cases, and 9 percent are labeled as “other, not Hispanic.”

Of those cases, 17 percent—or 11 total—have no ethnic information available at this time.

There were 64 total cases reported. The largest age group of positive cases came from those age 34 and under at 28 cases, or 44 percent. (Moreno said in a recent press briefing that number could be skewed because they are prioritizing  testing first responders and healthcare workers who have been exposed.)

Males have caught up to females, so they are now at 50 percent each. The Salinas area continues to run ahead of other areas, with 33 cases, or 52 percent (consistent with overall population). There were 22 cases in the Peninsula/Big Sur area, and nine combined in North and South counties. Those regions continue to be reported collectively by the Health Department in order to protect patient privacy.

Community-acquired cases—meaning there's not a clear source of infection from one infected individual to another—are ahead of person-to-person transmission, which used to be the most common form of transmission. There were 14 travel-related cases reported, 21 person-to-person, 24 community-acquired and five remain under investigation.

The chart also showed 15 people hospitalized and 12 people recovered.

In a press briefing by phone on April 8, Moreno said although the county appears to be flattening the curve, he is still expecting a surge, where the number of patients could exceed hospitals' capacity. He and County Administrative Officer Charles McKee said plans are in place to secure more facilities to house patients in need of care. McKee said it was too early in the planning process to share details.