A second person in Mendocino County died of complications from the coronavirus, county officials said Friday.
The 63-year-old man had underlying health problems and was a resident at Sherwood Oaks Health Center, a skilled nursing facility in Fort Bragg. He died there on Thursday.
The death is linked to a cluster of coronavirus cases at the nursing facility, said Sarah Dukett, the county’s assistant executive director. The county is awaiting confirmation of how many people at the health center have tested positive for COVID-19.
The fatality comes after authorities confirmed the first Mendocino County virus-related death Wednesday. That was an 80-year-old Ukiah man who had died July 1 at a Marin County ambulatory center. He reportedly attended a Mother’s Day religious service in Ukiah, which local authorities linked to an outbreak of COVID-19, and was reported by the Press Democrat.
On Friday, Dr. Noemi Doohan, Mendocino County Health Officer, issued a revised public health emergency order. Starting next Friday, it will preemptively close many more businesses in anticipation of being added to the state’s coronavirus watch list.
Beginning at 11:59 p.m. on July 24, the county will close gyms, hair salons, beauty salons, closed shopping malls, nonessential offices and places of worship, unless they can operate outdoors.
While Mendocino County is not among the more than 30 counties, including Sonoma County, now on the state’s watch list, Doohan expects Mendocino to be added soon due to a recent spike in virus cases and hospitalizations. Counties on the watchlist for at least three days are forced to temporarily shut down the same business sectors that Doohan listed in his revised order.
On Wednesday, Doohan initially announced that the order would take effect on July 17 before midnight. In a statement on Friday, he said he decided to delay the effective date of its directive to give companies more time to prepare for closing. If the state requires Mendocino County to close businesses before the new effective date, Doohan will review your order to meet state requirements.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered the closure of indoor food and beverages in restaurants, wineries and breweries, and closed bars, movie theaters and other indoor businesses across the state. Counties most struggling with virus outbreaks that remain on the watch list for three days must shutdown the widest range of business sectors such as gyms and hair salons, among others, for up to three weeks, or perhaps longer.
As of Friday afternoon, Mendocino County reported 177 confirmed cases of coronavirus overall, including 7 people now hospitalized and four in hospital intensive care. There are 98 that have been recovered.
You can contact Writer Ethan Varian at [email protected] or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian
