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The four counties in California’s capital region have been moved into a COVID-19 status tier that urges those at high risk of getting very sick to wear a high-quality mask or respirator, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, due to recent increases in virus hospitalization numbers.

Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties are now listed in the “yellow” (or medium) status tier based on COVID-19 hospitalization rates from data collected by the CDC through Dec. 2, the most recent data available for counties in California.

The CDC data shows the four-county region had a 29% increase in hospitalized COVID patients on Dec. 2 compared to Nov. 25. Only those four California counties are listed in the yellow tier, according to the CDC; all others are in the “green” (low) tier. No California counties were listed in the “orange” status tier (high) as of Monday.

The California Department of Public Health respiratory virus dashboard, which includes separate charts for COVID-19 and influenza, now displays only weekly updates on hospitalizations at the statewide level, no longer including county-level hospital numbers.

The most recent update from CDPH shows the number of hospital patients with COVID-19 in California on a steady rise, up to 1,592 patients on Dec. 2 from 1,151 one month earlier.

The California hospital data chart that shows county figures and remains posted online, but is no longer being actively updated, shows the number of patients with COVID-19 in Sacramento County climbed to 81 on Dec. 2 from 49 on Sept. 27. In Placer County, that total rose to 52 on Dec. 2 from 37 on Sept. 29. This most recent data shows Yolo County with five patients with COVID-19 in hospitals, and four in El Dorado County.

COVID-19 test positivity rate data for California is no longer available for each county — only statewide. California reported a 8.8% test positivity rate through Dec. 4, which is a 1.1-point increase from the previous week and has been on a steady climb since it was 6.1% on Nov. 2, according to CDPH.

Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties were listed in the green status tier (or low) throughout October and November before recently ticking back up to the yellow tier.

Along with the mask recommendation for those at high risk of getting very sick, residents in counties in the yellow tier should consider self-testing for COVID-19 and wearing a high-quality mask when indoors and coming into contact with those at high risk of getting very sick, according to federal health officials.

The CDC said people may choose to mask at any time, and people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in a public space.

The CDC places counties into the yellow tier once their rate of new weekly hospital admissions with COVID-19 exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents, and into the orange tier above 20 per 100,000. CDC data showed the four-county Sacramento region at a hospitalization rate of 10.5 per 100,000, up from 8.2 per 100,000 the previous week and reaching its highest point since late September.

Nationwide, 75% of counties remained as of Monday within the green hospitalization tier, 21% were in yellow and less than 4% were in orange.

The California Independent System Operator (or ISO), which maintains the state’s power grid, on Monday activated COVID-19 screening protocols for its buildings in response to Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties moving into the yellow tier.

Visitors at California ISO buildings, along with staff attending in-person meetings with external visitors, will need to acknowledge they have tested negative for COVID-19 within 24 hours of being on site. Test kits will be available upon arrival, if needed.

Trade winds started to blow in Sacramento in recent days with national reports suggesting the Kings could be involved in discussions for a number of star players.

Rival executives could target second-year forward Keegan Murray

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in trade talks, but the Kings have no intention of moving Murray. A league source told The Sacramento Bee on Saturday the Kings view Murray as a foundational piece and they are not including him in trade discussions.

The Kings have been linked to the likes of Toronto Raptors forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as general manager Monte McNair looks to upgrade the roster. Sacramento’s apparent interest in Anunoby has generated enough buzz for oddsmakers to calculate the Kings’ chances of acquiring him before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.

According to OntarioBets.com, the Kings are one of the five most likely teams to secure the services of Anunoby, a 6-foot-7, 232-pound small forward who won an NBA championship in 2019 and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2023. The website gives the Raptors +450 odds with an 18.2% chance of keeping Anunoby. They are followed by the New York Knicks at +700 (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers at +1000 (12.5%) and the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings at +1000 (9.1%).

Trade rumors started swirling with Friday marking the first day teams could trade players who signed as free agents last summer. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Kings are “going to be involved in every star player,” specifically mentioning Anunoby, Siakam and LaVine. Sacramento is looking to build on last season’s success after winning 48 games to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports fueled additional speculation, writing: “Sacramento has certainly left rival front offices and other league figures with a sense that the Kings are exploring avenues to grab more midseason talent, just as Sacramento did in swapping (Tyrese) Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis before the 2022 trade deadline.”

Fischer mentioned the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Kings among teams with interest in acquiring Siakam, although he noted the Kings and Pacers seem more interested in Anunoby. Fischer also cited the Kings and Hawks as “apparent suitors” for Markkanen.

The Raptors would reportedly ask for Murray, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, in discussions for Anunoby or Siakam. At this point, however, the Kings are unwilling to entertain such a deal.

Anunoby, 26, is averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 48% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. He is in the third year of a four-year, $72 million contract with a player option in 2024-25. He is widely expected to opt out of the final year to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Siakam, 29, is averaging 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists. The 6-8, 245-pound power forward is shooting 50.3% from the field and 26.6% from beyond the arc, well below his career average of 32.4%. Siakam is in the final year of a four-year, $136.9 million contract, meaning he, too, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Markkanen, 26, is a 7-foot power forward who averages 23.7 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 39% from 3-point range. He has one year remaining on a four-year, $67.5 million contract.

LaVine, 28, is a 6-5 shooting guard who is averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He has three years remaining on a five-year, $215.2 million contract with a $49 million player option in 2026-27. The Kings made an offer to LaVine under former general manager Vlade Divac in 2018, but now he would be a questionable fit for a team that is looking to improve defensively.

No De'Aaron Fox? No problem.

The Kings took the court without their MVP-candidate point guard, clearing the way for an extraordinary scoring outburst from Keegan Murray in Sacramento's 125 - 104 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.

The second-year forward was sensational, erupting for a career-high 47 points on one of the most incredible shooting displays the NBA has ever seen. Murray's near-flawless evening included a stretch of 11 consecutive makes from beyond the arc, setting an NBA record for consecutive 3-pointers made in a single game. The 23-year-old also became the youngest player in NBA history to make 12 3-pointers in a game.

Murray's career night came on the heels of Yahoo! Sports NBA's Jake Fischer reporting that Murray would be among the expected return for the Toronto Raptors in any potential trade for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam or O.G. Anunoby.

The Sacramento Bee's Jason Anderson reported Saturday, citing league sources, that the Kings view Murray as a foundational piece and would be unwilling to include the young talent in any trade packages.

Murray joined "Kings Postgame Live" following the win, where the sharpshooter revealed he wasn't concerned with chasing the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a game, but rather remained focused solely on getting a win for his team.

"Nah, I mean I had no idea. I don't really care about records and stuff like that," Murray told Kyle Draper and Mike Bibby. "They're cool and all, we got the team win which was the biggest thing. They just kept feeding me the ball because I had the hot hand, so kudos to my teammates, they were big in everything I did tonight."

The 12 3-pointers Murray made against the Jazz set a Kings franchise record, and after the game, the 23-year-old reflected on what it meant for him to etch his name into team history.

"I mean it's big, there's a lot of great players who have played and put on this Sacramento uniform. So just being able to just put my name with those is a great feeling," Murray said. "I know that later on, I'll realize how special it is, and in the moment I know it's special. So just being able to be with those names is big."

Murray finished his historic night shooting 16 for 23 from the field, 12 of 15 beyond the arc, with eight rebounds and two assists to accompany his game-high 47 points.

If there were doubts about Murray's place within the long-term foundation of an ascending Sacramento roster, the young forward's dazzling performance on Saturday night sent a loud message that his name will be synonymous with Kings basketball for years to come.

After a magical 2022-23 NBA season, the Kings brought back most of the same players to continue building upon their newfound success.

But Sacramento recently has been tied to several trade rumors, many of which involve Toronto Raptors stars Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Jake Fischer detailed what Toronto could ask for in a potential trade with Sacramento, and the price is extremely high.

"For Sacramento to do business with Toronto, the Raptors are expected to seek sweet-shooting Keegan Murray in exchange for either of their talented forwards," Fischer reported Friday.

The Kings seem unlikely to do that, since they raved about the second-year forward all offseason and noted how critical his growth would be to their success.

Sacramento selected Murray with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he averaged 12.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range, adding 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29.8 minutes in 80 games as a rookie. He also broke the NBA rookie 3-point record, was named to the 2022-23 All-NBA Rookie First Team and played a major role in the Kings making their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Murray's Year 2 jump has been a focal point for Sacramento, as it yearns to go from good to great around its All-NBA duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Fischer cited league sources in reporting, though, that Kings third-year guard Davion Mitchell is "considered a strong trade candidate" as the 25-year-old has fallen out of the rotation this season.

The Kings also are looking elsewhere to pick up more midseason talent. Fischer reported they have been mentioned as "one team to monitor in Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine's ongoing trade discussions." An NBA general manager also told Fischer that the Utah Jazz would be "willing to listen" to inquiries about All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, and Fischer cited three suitors for the Finnish player -- the Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

It's all speculation for now, but with the Kings sitting fifth in the West at 14-9 and boasting championship aspirations, there's no question they'll consider whatever it might take to accomplish them.

After an 11-month trial period and waves of public feedback, the dog park on the green behind Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community in the Curtis Park neighborhood is not to be.

In a City Council meeting this week, city staff announced it would no longer pursue a dog park concept there.

“After evaluating the temporary pop-up dog park at Sierra 2 Park over the 11-month trial period, staff determined that the available area is too small to meet city standards for a dog park and has become a significant maintenance burden during its implementation,” according to the staff report.

Jackie Beecham, director of the city’s Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment, said staff received over 400 complaints of off-leash dogs outside the temporary dog park, dog feces and holes in the grass behind Sierra 2. The arts and events facility, as well as the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, which operates out of the same park, has submitted “complaints about off-leash dogs in the park” to the city.

Instead, the city is now pursuing possible dog park concepts at William Land Park and Belle Cooledge Park.

The proposition of an unfenced dog park in William Land Park received lackluster public opinion. Many were in favor of the move to Land Park, saying it would allow a much larger space for dog owners and their pets.

Neighbors in Curtis Park shared concerns about so many dogs utilizing a relatively small space within the 3-acre green. Sierra 2 also lacks the double-fence gates that help prevent dogs from scampering out onto the street.

But Sierra 2 was a popular destination and gave pets and their owners a sense of community; others insisted Curtis Park still needed a dog park within easy walking reach. One resident raised a concern that William Land Park would be too far of a walk for Curtis Park’s elderly residents.

Mayor Darrell Steinberg said a dog park in Curtis Park is still an “open question” and city staff would continue to look for a solution.

The City Council voted unanimously to authorize city staff to research and pilot a designated area for an unfenced, off-leash dog park within William Land Park. The pilot program has a budget of $200,000.

City staff drew up three designs and solicited community feedback. The most popular plan would place the park between 19th Street and Freeport Boulevard, adjacent to the golf course and across from Sacramento City College.

This pilot park would likely launch in early 2024 after city staff choose a location. The implementation would include “pedestrian safety measures” around Land Park, as well as additional benches, a drinking fountain with a dog bowl and signage to designate the area and rules.

Given available funding, the city has maintained staff will continue evaluating more locations for off-leash dog parks throughout the city — this includes a potential expansion of Partner Park behind the Belle Cooledge Community Center in South Land Park, some 2½ miles south of Sierra 2.

This story was originally published December 15, 2023, 11:57 AM.