"It has been Alameda, Santa Clara and San Francisco that have fueled a rise in hospitalizations across the region to levels not seen since the end of April. There were 362 patients in Bay Area hospital beds who had tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, the most recent day for which data was available — a 52% spike from a week ago."

The statewide hospitalization count had been outpacing the Bay Area, but that changed last week. The total, which reached a record 4,577 on Saturday, rose 28% last week and has grown 48% since two Saturdays ago. The Central California counties of San Joaquin, Kern and Fresno have seen their hospitalizations rise 58% in the past week and overtake every county in the Bay Area.