Coronavirus: 50 more cases reported in Alameda County, where 42 people have died

Oakland remains at the top of the list of cities with the most confirmed coronavirus cases in Alameda County at 301, up from 280 on Saturday, public health officials reported.

New numbers from the Alameda County coronavirus dashboard showed that over half of the 50 new cases reported Sunday were in Oakland. Public health officials also reported one more death, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the virus to 1,164. Forty-two people have died.

Second to Oakland in the number of positive cases is Hayward with 226. Next was Fremont with 86, San Leandro with 67 and Union City with 55 confirmed cases.

Pleasanton had 47 cases, Newark showed 42 and Livermore 30 cases. There were 29 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alameda, 21 in Dublin and 10 in Piedmont, with fewer than 10 reported in Albany and Emeryville.

The city of Berkeley, which operates an independent public health department, had not updated its numbers as of midday Sunday. The Saturday totals showed 42 confirmed cases in the city and one death.

Public health officials reported that less than 10 people who have tested positive for coronavirus are known to be homeless, and about 11 have no known address and are believed to be unhoused. Thirty-one cases have been reported at the county jail in Santa Rita and 148 cases are spread across unincorporated areas of the county.

In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, Alameda County joined others in the Bay Area in mandating the use of face masks or coverings for its 1.6 million residents.

The new orders mean more than 5 million Bay Area residents could soon face a criminal charge as a “menace to public health” that is “punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both” for refusing to wear cloth face coverings in public settings.

San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties issued orders Friday mandating face masks in public for those over age 12 starting at noon Wednesday. San Mateo County also was expected to issue a similar order.