Coronavirus: CoCo Braces For Up To 14,000 Deaths

RICHMOND, CA — Contra Costa County's health officer Dr. Chris Farnitano gave a sobering briefing to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday: brace for between 2,000 and 14,000 coronavirus deaths in the county over the "next several months," based on various models factoring in different rates of infection and treatment capabilities.

That stunning prediction came at a time when the county is reporting just three deaths and 222 confirmed infections as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the public website maintained by Contra Costa Health Services.

The county is moving ahead with four alternative care sites: Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, Contra Costa County fairgrounds in Antioch, the former Los Medanos Community Hospital building in Pittsburg, and part of Alhambra High School in Martinez.

Don't miss updates about coronavirus precautions as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

The alternative sites will handle "uncomplicated" treatments as local hospitals fill with coronavirus cases. The surge is expected mid-April to mid-May.

The bright spot presented by Farnitano is that social distancing appears to be helping reduce the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19. But, he warned, "This is no time to relax."

Meanwhile, the loss of jobs related to the coronavirus pandemic has put more pressure on the county's social services. Kathy Gallagher, the county's employment and human services director, told supervisors that applications for virtually all county safety net social services - with the exception of child care - have risen dramatically in recent weeks.

County tax officials told supervisors that taxpayers who can prove economic hardship caused specifically by the consequences of coronavirus, such as job loss or working fewer hours, can pay their property taxes late without penalties. That could lead to an economic domino effect on cities that depend on county tax payments.

"If our collections are significantly impacted, it's a pretty significant cash impact on local jurisdictions, and that will impact their ability to provide public service," Bob Campbell, the county's auditor-controller, told supervisors.

— Patch editor Bea Karnes and Bay City News contributed to this story