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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.12.20 Email from Danette York - COVID-19 Daily Update From:York, Danette To:Kim, Sang;Ring, Brian;Pickett, Andy;Hatcher, Casey;Jessee, Meegan;Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Lambert, Steve;Lucero, Debra;McCracken, Shari;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas, Amalia;Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug;Dept Heads;Asst Dept Heads Subject:COVID-19 Daily Update Date:Thursday, March 12, 2020 6:55:42 AM Attachments:2020-0312.docx Please see attached Sincerely, Danette York Public Health Director BUTTE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH 202 Mira Loma Drive | Oroville, CA 95965 T:530.552.3820 “Nationally Accredited, 09/13/17” FACEBOOK | TWITTER COUNTY OF BUTTE E-MAIL DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachment thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this e-mail (or any attachments thereto) by other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are NOT the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this e-mail and any attachments thereto. Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updatefor Butte County BOS, Admin and Dept.Heads March12, 2020 Lab Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Butte County: ZERO Information Update: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has guidance documents for various sectors of our community. All guidance documents are located in one place on their website. o Late last night on 3/11/2020, public health participated in a conference call with CDPH and learned they plan to release a new guidance (see press release at the bottom of this document) recommending postponing or cancelling large gatherings. This is an example of “mitigation efforts” that you will start hearing more about. The term large will be defined based on the risk levels of the individuals who would attend thegathering. Again, this is a recommendation only, not a requirement at this time. However, the local Health Officer has the authority to require cancellations if the need should arise. o Some examples of what the guidance applies to includes: concerts, sporting events, non-essential conferences, etc. o Some examples of what the guidance does NOT apply to include: workplaces, schools, daycares, transportation hubs (airports, train stations), shopping centers, congregate living quarters like dorms or shelters, orplaces of business such as theme parks and movie theaters. Of course this recommendation could expand to include more of those in the future if the need should arise. Yesterday, Chico State announced they will be cancelling in person classes for about a two week period. The cancellation starts Friday, 3/13 and goes through Tuesday 3/24. This time period includes the scheduled spring break week. Unless things change during the closure period in person classes are scheduled to start back on Wednesday, 3/25. This does NOT affect online classes, they will continue as scheduled. o Chico State made this decision before the aforementioned guidance was released and Butte County Department of Public Health (BCPH) did not make the recommendation for this decision. 1 Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 This is a rapidly evolving situation, please note that all information is current as of the time it is written. Important COVID-19 Resources: Butte County Public Health California Department of Public Health (CDPH) The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Butte County residents call also call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898211 for COVID-19 information and updates. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Contact: Governor's Press Office Wednesday, March 11, 2020(916) 445-4571 California Public Health Experts: Mass Gatherings Should be Postponed or Canceled Statewide to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 State public health expertsannouncethat gatherings with 250 people or more should be rescheduled or canceled 2 Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 Smaller gatherings can proceed if organizers implement6 feet of social distancing SACRAMENTO –Governor Gavin Newsom announced thatCaliforniapublic healthofficialsthis eveningissuedanupdatedpolicyon gatherings to protect public health and slow the spread of COVID-19. The state’s public health expertshave determined that gatherings should be postponed or canceled across the state until at least the end of March. Non-essentialgatherings must be limited to no morethan 250 people, while smaller events can proceed only if the organizers can implement social distancing of 6 feet per person. Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people, while also following social distancing guidelines. “Changing our actions forashortperiod of time willsavethe life ofone or more peopleyou know,”said Governor Newsom.“That’s thechoicebeforeus. Eachof ushas extraordinary powertoslowthe spread of this disease. Not holding that concert or community eventcan havecascading effects—savingdozens oflivesand preserving critical health care resources that your family may need a month from now. The people in our lives who are most at risk –seniors and those with underlying health conditions --aredependingonall of usto make the right choice.” The state’s updated policy defines a “gathering” as any event or convening that brings together people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, or any other indoor or outdoor space. This guidance applies to all non-essential professional, social and community gatherings regardless of their sponsor. Essential gatherings should only be conducted if the essential activity could not be postponed or achieved without gathering, meaning that some other means of communication could not be used to conduct the essential function. The full policy can be found here. “These changes will cause real stress —especially for families and businesses least equipped financially to deal with them. The state ofCalifornia is working closely with businesses who will feel the economic shock of these changes, and we are mobilizing every level of government to help families as they persevere through this global health crisis,”added Governor Newsom. State Efforts to Assist California Workers 3 Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 California will continue acting swiftly to help workers hurt by COVID-19. Affected workers can visit the Labor & Workforce Development Agency’s website to review what benefits are available to them.For instance, If you're unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19you may qualify for Paid Family Leave (PFL). If you’re unable to work due to medical quarantine or illness, you may qualify for Disability Insurance. Those who have lost a job or have had their hours reduced for reasons related to COVID-19 may be able to partially recover their wages by filing an unemployment insurance claim. If a worker or a family memberissick or for preventative care when civil authorities recommend quarantine, workers may use accrued paid sick leave in accordance with the law. Ifworkers areunable to do their usual job because they were exposed to and contracted COVID-19 during the regular course of their work, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. All information and resources can be found atLabor.Ca.Gov/Coronavirus2019 All Community Guidance Released from CDPH: The California Department of Public Health has consolidated state guidance on how to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19 in asingle location. This includes guidance for: Health care facilities, including long-term care facilities Community care facilities, including assisted living facilities and child care Schools and institutions of higher education First responders, including paramedicsand EMTs Employers, health care workers and workers in general industry Health care plans Home cleaning with COVID-19 positive individuals Guidance for Using Disinfectants at Schools and Child Cares Laboratories Health care facilities from Cal/OSHA Homelessness Providers What to Do if You Think You're Sick: Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and may have had contact with a person with COVID-19, or recently traveled to countries with apparent community spread, call your health care provider or local public health department first before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. California's Response to COVID-19: 4 Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 We have been actively and extensively planning with our local public health and health care delivery systems. Here are some of the things we are already doing: As in any public health event, the California Department of Public Health's Medical and Health Coordination Center has been activated and is coordinating public health response efforts across the state. California continues to prepare and respond in coordination with federal and local partners, hospitals and physicians. Governor Newsom declared a State of Emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the state prepare for broader spread of COVID-19. Governor Gavin Newsom requested the Legislature make up to $20 million available for state government to respond to the spread of COVID-19. California activated the State Operations Center to its highest level to coordinate response efforts across the state. 24 million more Californians are now eligible for free medically necessary COVID-19 testing. California made available some of its emergency planning reserves of 21 million N95 filtering face piece masks for use in certain health care settings to ease shortages of personal protective equipment. The Public Health Department is providing information,guidance documents, and technical support to local health departments, healthcare facilities, providers, schools, universities, colleges, and childcare facilities across California The California EmploymentDevelopment Department (EDD) is encouraging individuals who are unable to work due to exposure to COVID-19 to file a Disability Insurance claim. EDD is also encouraging employers who are experiencing a slowdown in their businesses or services as a result of the Coronavirus impact on the economy to apply for an Unemployment Insurance work sharing program. California continues to work in partnership with the federal government to aid in the safe return of 962 Californians from the Grand Princess cruise ship. This mission is centered around protecting the health of the passengers, and ensuring that when the passengers disembark, thepublic health of the United States, the State of California, and partner communities is protected. The Public Health Department is coordinating with federal authorities and local health departments that have implemented screening, monitoring and, in some cases quarantine of returning travelers. In coordination with the CDC, state and local health departments, we are actively responding to cases of COVID-19. The Public Health Department is supporting hospitals and local public health laboratories in the collection of specimens and testing for COVID-19. 5 Public Health Administration Danette York, M.P.H., Director Andy Miller, M.D., Health Officer 202 Mira Loma Drive T: 530.552.4000 buttecounty.net/publichealth Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.2164 The California Department of Public Health's state laboratory in Richmond and 18 other public health department laboratories now have tests for the virus that causes COVID-19. Eighteen of them are currently conducting tests, with the others coming online soon. For morethe most up to dateinformation on COVID-19 and California’s response, visit theCDPH website. ### Governor Gavin Newsom State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 6