The Governors of California, Oregon and Washington have issued travel advisories urging people entering their states or returning from travel to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. More than 11 Million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported in the United States. The most recent Million came in less than a week.
Shasta County reported a record 164 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Friday and the state reported more over the weekend, giving the county a total of 3,195. The death toll from the virus is now 36. The vast majority of new cases continue to be under the age of 50. There are 157 active cases with 44 hospitalized and 6 in intensive care. 360 people are quarantined due to possible exposure.
Trinity County, with 68 cases, has joined Siskiyou and Modoc Counties in a move from yellow into the orange tier, forcing significantly tighter business restrictions. Siskiyou County has had one death among 372 cases. Modoc County has surged to 93 cases.
Tehama County is up to 1,154 cases and 19 deaths. Butte County has had 3,399 cases and 56 deaths. Glenn County has had 770 cases and 6 deaths. 653 cases are reported in Humboldt County with 10 deaths. Lassen County has had one death among their 218 cases in the community and 917 in prison.
Public Health says the record high Coronavirus case numbers are not an isolated outbreak that can be easily contained, but is spread throughout the community and everyone needs to try harder to contain the spread. The only way to reopen the economy is by following the guidelines of face coverings, avoiding close contact with other people and washing hands frequently. Employers are strongly encouraged to offer alternative worksite options when feasible and to scale up safety measures.
California’s Coronavirus cases are surging and health officials say social gatherings and people not wearing masks or keeping their distance are fueling the rise. Yet it’s businesses that are paying the price in the form of revenue-sapping restrictions. Business owners say that’s not fair and some medical experts say they have a point. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, said restrictions targeting entire classes of businesses aren’t very fine-tuned and don’t address specific activities that are driving the increase.
Since Shasta County has entered the most restrictive purple tier, state agencies will likely take a more aggressive enforcement role, though many Redding businesses are ignoring the order. Shasta County must show red tier numbers for two consecutive weeks before restrictions will ease.
Widespread testing is a vital component in getting Shasta County out of the purple tier. There have been 75,011 negative tests in Shasta County. Free testing options can be found at shastaready.org.