MENDOCINO Co., 3/26/20 — “We are certain that the number of cases in Mendocino will rise,” said Mendocino County Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. James Flaherty in a video update provided by the County of Mendocino this evening, noting also that the two confirmed cases of COVID-19 are the “tip of the iceberg.”
This evening Mendocino County Public Health released a video update to YouTube, in lieu of the regular press conferences that they’ve been holding, providing updates on the coronavirus pandemic and how it is affecting Mendocino County. Earlier today the county explained that they would be cancelling the press conference as a social distancing measure, but did not provide any venue for the press to call in with questions or seek additional information from the public health officer, Dr. Noemi Doohan, and her deputy Dr. James Flaherty. The press conferences which have been as long as nearly an hour, and allowed for ample time to ask questions of a variety of local officials were instead replaced with a less than five minute video. Requests for interviews were also denied.
Though the number of positive tests have not changed since Tuesday, something Flaherty called “encouraging,” he also noted that it represents the “tip of the iceberg.” Testing in Mendocino County continues to be “targeted,” as Flaherty explained, “Given the national and state shortage of testing capability.”
Those people being tested right now are generally at higher risk, or essential for the maintenance of the healthcare and emergency infrastructure, and include: healthcare workers, public safety personnel, other emergency response personnel, and vulnerable groups like nursing home patients, people in jail, the homeless, and of course people in immediate need in emergency rooms.
The Public Health Administration is also training four more people to investigate the travel and contacts of the people who have tested positive, with the help of Sonoma County.
And of course, the shelter-in-place order was expanded and made stricter this week. Flaherty did not expand on how it had been made stricter or other specifics, beyond emphatically asking people to continue to shelter in place. For some more details check out our article on the order at this link.
Here are the totals for the COVID-19 tests that have occurred, and results, as of this afternoon, Thursday March 26, 2020.
Tests conducted by Mendocino Public Health
- Tests: 42
- Negative: 32
- Pending: 10
- Positive: 0
Tests conducted by commercial labs
- Total tests: 128
- Negative: 99
- Pending: 27
- Positive: 2
They are not testing In the ER, that is false, only if you are admitted to the hospital. The doctor and nurses apologized repeatedly, recommending I go to the county, then saying I can’t, the head of the ER said they will just send you here and we can’t test you. They did a chest X-ray but sent me home. I have an autoimmune disease, two people in my home have chest issues, and Th year can do nothing.
The reason they have no More documented cases is they are not testing those presenting, just those needing hospitalization.
The recent case of Covid-19 was at the Howards Adventist Hospital in Willits, a for profit Hospital. There were many cases which exhibited all the signs in February as well, but none were tested for Covid-19, although there were numerous positives for other strains of coron virus at Howard, this is from direct knowledge, my father tested positive! A friend who is a nurse in the Adventist System in Mendo confirmed the most recent case was at Howard Hospital, the reporters from the Mendo Voice need to look into this if at all possible. The Adventist Team is trying to cover this up since they do not want the stigma over the brand new Howard Hospital, but it is a fact that the most recent case was from Howard Hospital. It is our suspicion as well as the nureses suspicion that Howard Hospital is turning away patients who actually should be tested, the are prototyping testing elderly, people with immune disease and healthcare workers. Like I said, there was community spread in February of what Howard claimed was a “different strain of Corona Virus” in Willits. Of course Howard could just be trying to cover it up to protect their potential profits over being transparent and honest with the community, Mendo Health department refuses to release the location which is also an attempt at coverup. If your sick with fever, runny nose and chills and sweats., dont depend on the Adventist System, they are not doing their part to test and diagnose, and many nurses are taking leww aves of absence since they have school aged children at home and they are scared on contracting the virus. All Incoming Residents and visitors should be required to quarantine for 14 days, just like Hawaii! Close the County Border to all non-residents. There is currently no community spread, the only way to limit any community spread is to close the County Borders to all non-residents immediately!
With the borders closed and no community spread lift the order demanding we give up our rights and liberties requiring us to stay in our homes. The time to close the county borders is now, not in two weeks from now, dont wait another day, it is the only solution to stop bay area residents herds from coming into our small rural communities and getting us all sick! Time is of the essence