SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Here are the latest updates on coronavirus and how local governments are responding to the illness, with a focus on California for Monday, April 27.
CALIFORNIA STATUS UPDATE
The California Department of Public Health reports:
- Confirmed cases: 43,464 (As of April 26).
- 1,755 deaths
- 22 state and county labs processing tests for COVID-19.
- Click here for complete information on coronavirus, unemployment, and more from the state of California.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- After COVID-19 recovery, first responders get back to work: The coronavirus doesn’t care about a blue uniform and a shiny badge. Police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to their families. Thousands of America’s first responders are sick. Dozens are dead. But many have recovered. And they’re going back to work, some with a lingering cough and lost weight. They fear that picking up extra overtime shifts may expose them and their families to additional risks. And then they pull on their uniforms and go back to work.
- At least 181 California prison inmates and 128 workers have tested positive for COVID-19, state officials said Monday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation secretary Ralph Diaz extended the suspension of intake into the state's prisons for an extra 30 days, through May 22.
- Solano County Public Health officials announced Monday that it is extending the county's stay-at-home order until May 17. As of last Friday, the county had 199 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and at least four people have died due to complications of the virus. Public health officials said the extension is important in further mitigating the spread of the virus.
- Stanislaus County announces sixth and seventh death in county due to coronavirus. Stanislaus County Public Health has confirmed that two more residents, an adult male and adult female, have died due to COVID-19. Both had underlying medical conditions.
- Two more states join California, Washington and Oregon's West States Pact. In his daily coronavirus press conferences, Gov. Newsom announced Colorado and Nevada will join the pact that is working together towards a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19. During his press conference, Newsom also touched on the crowds on people who visited California beaches over the weekend, saying "weeks away, not months from making major changes to our stay at home order, but it’s driven by behavior." The governor urged everyone that until there is a vaccine, "we have to manage risks, we have to manage and augment our behavior."
- Leaders of six largely rural Northern California counties say the coronavirus outbreak in their area is small enough that Gov. Gavin Newsom should let them reopen their economies. The leaders of Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Colusa, Tehama and Glenn counties sent Newsom a letter, saying the counties have have had only 69 confirmed coronavirus cases among their 500,000 residents. Just one person in those counties is in an intensive care unit because of the virus. Newsom has relaxed the state's stay-at-home order to allow for elective surgeries, but he has resisted calls to let nonessential businesses reopen for fear of prompting a surge of cases.
- Government stimulus checks have triggered the latest coronavirus scam, which involves imposters calling or sending messages about the checks. Here is how it works: You receive a message or see a social media post with a link, which you to what appears to be an official website. It asks you to enter your personal and/or bank account information so that the website can "process your check." This fraudulent activity mostly targets the elderly, most vulnerable population. You can track more known coronavirus scams here.
- The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services responded to a rumor circulating on social media saying face masks are not required in the county. Face coverings are encouraged, but are not mandatory when traveling within the county.
- A Turlock nursing home has at least 51 positive cases of coronavirus among its staff and residents, with more than 200 tests still pending. Thirty four residents and 17 staff members have tested positive, so far. On April 22, the Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center announced they were testing their whole staff and all of their residents after three of their residents and three of their staff tested positive for the virus. Eighty seven test results are still pending for residents and 115 test results are pending for staff. The center is now devoting a wing of their facility specifically for coronavirus related care and another wing for residents who tested negative for the virus.
OUR MISSION: FACTS NOT FEAR
Coronavirus Background
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine; however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
WHY HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE SO CONCERNED
Some people have compared the low overall death toll to the flu's high annual death toll in the United States as a reason not to be concerned about COVID-19, however, doctors and health officials are concerned for three main reasons:
- Some people have built up immunity to the flu, but few have immunity to COVID-19 version of coronavirus.
- Both the flu and COVID-19 are spread by droplets, but COVID-19 might be spread in the air. Scientists are researching exactly how COVID-19 spreads.
- The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public where social distancing measures would be difficult to maintain, like at a grocery store or pharmacy.
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