Seal of Calaveras County
San Andreas, CA – Beginning Thursday, Calaveras County will have to roll out business operations instead of metrics in place to help control the spread of coronavirus infections.
On Monday, Calaveras County Public Health (CDPH) officials announced that the California Department of Public Health confirmed that Calaveras will be added to the County Monitoring List.
This means that from Thursday at 1am the following sectors will be required to close as activities, unless they can be adapted to operate outdoors or through sidewalks: gyms and fitness centers; places of worship and cultural ceremonies, such as weddings and funerals; non-critical infrastructure sector offices; personal care services such as nail salons and body lotions; hair salons and hairdressers; shopping centers. Stores that offer tattoos, piercings, and electrolysis, which may not legally be allowed to operate outside.
In addition, all schools that have not yet started the school year will not have the option to teach in person with adjustments and will be required to conduct distance learning until Calaveras remains off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. Officials add that schools that have already started the school year are not required to relocate to distance education.
Official health officer Dr Dean Kelaita explains that the province has been added to the monitoring list because it is experiencing increased disease rates and hospital levels that exceed the metrics exceeded by the CDPH.
“Despite this backlog, we encourage our entire community to be vigilant wherever they go. Exercise physically, wear a face mask, test, wash your hands often and stay home when you are sick, ”he emphasizes. “This virus mainly spreads from person to person. People should make it a point to avoid all meetings, including places where physical distance and masking are not followed. That’s how we slow down the spread and that’s how we get off the monitoring list. ”
Currently, all countries nationwide must close indoor operations in these sectors:
– Dine-in restaurants
– Wineries and tasting rooms
– Cinemas
– Family center centers, such as bowling alleys, mini golf, batting booths, and arcades
– Zoos and museums
– Cardrooms
In addition, bars, brewpubs, breweries and pubs must close all operations both indoors and outdoors, unless they offer sit-down, outdoor dining. Alcohol can only be sold in the same transaction as a meal.
The best ways to prevent exposure to the virus are to stay home when you are sick; stay at least six feet away from people outside your household; wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; wear a face covered over your nose and mouth when you are with others.
Dr Kelaita states that symptoms may appear for 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and that people with possible emergency warning signs for COVID-19 should seek emergency help immediately:
– Cold or fever
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Wurgens
– Muscles as body
– Headache
– New loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Congestion as a runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Problems with breathing
– New confusion as weakness
– Bluish lips as face
– Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
– Impossibility to wake up or stay awake
Free COVID-19 testing remains available to anyone who wants to test through the OptumServe COVID-19 testing website located at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Testing is also available for children three years and older. People are highly encouraged to register online by clicking here. People without internet access should call 1-888-634-1123.
As reported here last Friday, the latest update, Calaveras has monitored 23 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in isolation as well as in the hospital, and are reported as ‘Active Cases’. Three Calaveras residents were in the hospital and one died presumably from COVID-19. Of the 174 known Calaveras residents who have tested positive for coronavirus since March, 150 have been released from isolation. The 150 are reported to be ‘recovering’ although they may have never experienced any noticeable symptoms or may continue to have suffering health problems related to the virus. Contact tracing will continue, limited details will be released to the public about individuals to protect their privacy, such as related HIPPA regulations.
Calaveras Public Health also says: “The electronic reporting system for laboratories, CalREDIE, is lagging behind COVID-19 lab reports. Despite these issues, Calaveras Public Health staff continue to work hard to verify local cases and the most accurate data. Recent data published by Calaveras Public Health, however, may reflect an underreporting of COVID-19 cases in the province.The state is working to address the backlog in CalREDIE and attribute all new cases to the backlog “Reporting to local health departments when it is resolved. Given these delays, Calaveras Public Health is asking anyone with a positive laboratory result to call 754-6460 to contact a staff member who can provide information, services and support.”
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