The latest public health developments around the region as of Friday evening include:
Communities all over the state are reporting impacts on enrollment and test scores for school-age children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sonoma County has released a sobering, detailed report focusing on kindergarteners there and how they are faring post-pandemic.
Only one in five children in Sonoma County were ready for kindergarten when they entered school last fall, according to a report released Wednesday from the county Department of Human Services (DHS). Many of the educational disparities fall along ethnic, racial and economic lines, the report said.
Kindergarten readiness declined in the county for the sixth consecutive year, according to the report entitled “Road to Early Achievement and Development for Youth,” or READY, which was initiated by the county DHS and the First 5 Sonoma County Commission, a body that allocates county funds for early education.
Overall, only 22 percent of Sonoma County children were ready for kindergarten last fall, down from 31 percent the previous year and 41 percent in 2016.
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As of Friday, at 5:30 p.m., officials have confirmed the following number of COVID-19 cases around the greater Bay Area region:
Alameda County: 385,842 cases, 2,231 deaths (385,477 cases, 2,229 deaths on Tuesday) (Totals include Berkeley Health Department data)
Contra Costa County: 298,820 cases, 1,583 deaths (298,658 cases, 1,583 deaths on Tuesday)
Marin County: 49,861 cases, 317 deaths (49,790 cases, 317 deaths on Tuesday)
Monterey County: 99,989 cases, 833 deaths (99,989 cases, 833 deaths on Tuesday)
Napa County: 34,849 cases, 206 deaths (34,811 cases, 206 deaths on Tuesday)
San Francisco County: 198,432 cases, 1,196 deaths (198,315 cases, 1,193 deaths on Tuesday)
San Joaquin County: 211,140 cases, 2,416 deaths (211,140 cases, 2,416 deaths on Tuesday)
San Mateo County: 184,001 cases, 912 deaths (184,001 cases, 912 deaths on Tuesday)
Santa Clara County: 482,063 cases, 2,752 deaths (481,695 cases, 2,741 deaths on Tuesday)
Santa Cruz County: 69,251 cases, 276 deaths (69,251 cases, 276 deaths on Tuesday)
Solano County: 118,904 cases, 441 deaths (118,904 cases, 441 deaths on Tuesday)
Sonoma County: 114,928 cases, 568 deaths (115,515 cases, 553 deaths on Tuesday) (Case data revised by state)
Statewide: 11,235,532 cases, 101,669 deaths (11,226,304 cases, 101,555 deaths on Tuesday)
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