SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif — For each number on Sacramento County's dashboard, someone may have lost a mother, a father, a child, a grandpa, a grandma, an aunt, an uncle, a brother, a sister, a cousin, a friend, or a neighbor.
Monday, Jan. 11, the number of people who died due to the coronavirus in Sacramento County surpassed 1,000 total deaths. The official tally on the Sacramento County Public Health dashboard is 1,015.
The first death in Sacramento County was recorded on March 9, 2020.
Even though Thanksgiving was less than two months ago, roughly 40% of the county's total deaths occurred since then.
The date with the highest number of deaths in the county is believed to have been Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. On that day, Carmelita Calindas, 77, died of COVID-19 along with 21 other people, according to her obituary and the county’s dashboard. Just 20 days later, Federico Calindas, her 82-year-old husband, died of the coronavirus as well, according to his obituary.
Carmelita and Federico Calindas immigrated here from the Philippines. According to their obituaries, Carmelita worked for the federal government, and Federico worked for United Airlines and was a veteran of the United States Army. Carmelita and Federico Calindas are survived by their children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.
In the coming weeks and months, more and more people are expected to die of the coronavirus. By the first week of February, California's projections estimate nearly 150 more deaths in Sacramento County. This means more parents, children, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, cousins, friends, and neighbors will lose more people who they care about.
To help minimize the number of people who die of the coronavirus, public health officials advise social distancing, wearing a mask, and avoiding gatherings. Currently, most of the state is under a stay-at-home order, meaning California residents should minimize their activities to what is essential to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Lowering the spread could help alleviate the strain placed on the health care system and prevent more people from dying.
