Oakland: City Leaders Urge Residents To Avoid Social Gatherings

OAKLAND (BCN)

East Oakland residents are being urged to avoid social gatherings because they are leading to a surge in COVID-19 cases, city leaders said Friday.

Leaders made their pleas at 12:15 p.m. at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater on Lake Merritt Boulevard between 12th Street and First Avenue.

The surge has been directly related to parties and social gatherings, and of specific concern are large gatherings at Lake Merritt, according to the leaders citing data released this week by Roots Community Health, which is based in East Oakland.

“We should all be alarmed by the new data,” said Nikki Fortunato Bas, city councilwoman whose district includes part of East Oakland.

The data show that the number of virus cases related to parties, social gatherings and traveling is up to about 40 percent of the total and about double the rate in workplaces.