Stanislaus County officials provide info on patient death and efforts to control coronavirus
Stanislaus County officials went live Wednesday on Facebook to share information about the coronavirus health threat in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
The live session led by Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kristin Olsen was held to clear up misconceptions and explain efforts to control the contagious respiratory illness.
Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse, Health Services Agency director Mary Ann Lilly and Emergency Services director Richard Murdock were on the panel, which revealed local agencies are planning for a months-long crisis through Memorial Day (May 25).
As of Wednesday, there were five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, including three new cases this week. Hayes said the respiratory illness that’s spreading worldwide has caused one death in the county. However, the patient was not a county resident or a person infected locally.
The patient, from another county, was transported to a local hospital and died here while receiving care, Hayes said. No other details were provided.
Sheriff Dirkse explained a county public health order that bans events or gatherings with 1,000 people or more in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the general population.
The Sheriff’s office is able to enforce a 1,000-person rule by citing violators on a misdemeanor charge. State and federal guidance frowning on gatherings of 250 people or more, or even 10 participants, are not enforceable under the law, Dirkse said.
Lilly said the Health Services Agency has stopped trying to release testing data broken down by positive tests, patients testing negative and total number of tests. Originally, the only test site for coronavirus was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory in Atlanta. Later, state and commercial labs and other public labs came on line, making it difficult to track results, Lilly said.
Four or five health care providers in the area, including community health clinics, have drive-through test sites for their patients by referral only. They’re not open to the general public. The county’s incomplete count is 70 people tested and five confirmed cases.
County government and its 27 departments is providing essential services for residents while trying to maintain a safe environment for employees. Some county offices will close to the public or customer service procedures may change to prevent contagious illness.
To comply with confidentiality laws, the county Health Services Agency withholds the identity of people who test positive for COVID-19 and does not disclose their place of residence. State and county agencies contend that disclosing the city of residence could make the person identifiable.
The county health services director said the city of residence does not matter; the primary message is for residents to take precautions.
Hayes said he met on Wednesday with key hospital representatives, who said they are working on plans for an increase in seriously ill patients afflicted with coronavirus. Hayes said he was told patient numbers, in general, are lower than normal at local hospitals for this time of year.
The state is scouring regions of California for closed hospital facilities that could be reactivated to handle an overflow of coronavirus-stricken patients if needed. There are no plans to reactivate any sites in Stanislaus County, Hayes said.
The county has talked with grocery store owners about compliance with social distancing guidelines not to exceed 50 customers in a store. They’re discussing opportunities for special hours for seniors 65 and older, so seniors can buy food and not be exposed to others who may carry the virus.
Seniors and people with underlying health conditions are in voluntary isolation because they’re susceptible to serious illness from coronavirus. As government agencies try to protect those residents against COVID-19, it creates a need for more assistance for them.
A faith-based effort called Loveourneighbors.org is working on volunteer services.
The county has information about the public health crisis at Stanemergency.org and its Facebook page.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
