UPDATE 3/19/20 — Sheriff Matt Kendall has made a statement on the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order:
MENDOCINO Co., 3/18/20 — The first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mendocino County has been confirmed, and as such more extreme measures are being put in place to limit the spread of the disease. As of 10 p.m. tonight a shelter-in-place order will be in place, meaning that people are not to leave their home except to for essential activities, businesses, and government functions. A lengthy description of what constitutes an essential task is found in the County’s order, as well as various exemptions, a shorter list can be found at the bottom of this article.
The list of essential tasks is long and ranges from individuals buying medicine and groceries, to the continued operation of hardware stores and gas stations.
Here is our interview with Dr. Doohan, which we did live at 6:20 p.m.:
Here is the press release:
First Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in Mendocino County and Health Officer Orders County Residents Shelter-In-Place
Post Date: 03/18/2020 5:45 PM
Today, Mendocino County Public Health confirmed the first case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mendocino County. This individual is in stable condition and is being placed in isolation. The individual has a known exposure to a person with COVID-19.
“This first case is not shocking to us,” said County Public Health Officer, Dr. Noemi Doohan. “Mendocino County has been preparing for a possible pandemic of COVID-19 since January, as many counties around us have reported cases and community spread of COVID-19.”
Mendocino County Health Officer Dr. Noemi Doohan has issued a Health Order directing all county residents to Shelter-In-Place, effective starting from March 18, 2020 at 10 p.m. until April 7, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. This difficult decision is being made because Mendocino County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified and the Bay Area is experiencing an alarming rise of COVID-19 cases — resulting in an imminent threat to our county’s health. This Order closely follows the Bay Area and Sonoma County Shelter-In-Place orders.
This Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people shelter in their places of residence to the maximum extent possible, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Order directs all residents to remain at their place of residence, except to conduct Essential Activities, Essential Businesses, and Essential Government Functions (defined in the Order).
This Health Order limits activity, travel and business functions to only the most basic and essential needs, and prohibits transient lodging for non-essential purposes. To the extent that individuals must use shared or outdoor spaces, all must maintain social distancing of at least six feet between themselves and others while outside their residence. Our goal is to protect the public’s health by aggressively minimizing the spread of this pandemic.
“We have been preparing for this situation since January, so while this is a serious order, there is no need to panic,” said Dr. Doohan. “We owe our seniors, healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations in our community our strict adherence to this order, for their protection.”
Essential Activities (exemptions to the Shelter-In-Place Order) include:
- Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, such as obtaining medicine or seeing a doctor;
- Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves or their family or household members, such as getting food and supplies, pet food, and getting supplies necessary for staying at home;
- Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running provided that you maintain at least six feet of social distancing;
- Performing work providing essential services at an Essential Business or Essential Government function (defined below);
- Caring for a family member in another household;
- Caring for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons.
The business community is advised to refer to Section 9 of the Order attached for the definition and a full list of essential business.
Violations of this Order are considered a threat to our county’s health, and adherence is enforceable by law. The Health Officer will continue to evaluate this rapidly evolving situation, and may modify or extend this Order if needed.
Remember:
- Keep a distance of at least six feet away from others
- Don’t shake hands
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often
- Don’t touch your face with un-washed hands
- Cover coughs and sneezes (into your elbow and away from others, not hands)
- Regularly clean high-traffic surfaces
Official information on the coronavirus and shelter-in-place frequently asked questions can be found at www.mendocinocounty.org.
Here is the order itself which goes into significant detail:
31820PublicHealthOrdertoSh
The promised Press Conference apparently did not happen. Dr. Doohan and Carmel Angelo did a brief informational via telepone with KZYX&Z…Did you get the interview? If you did…can you link us to it? Thanks!~GRANNY
Our video interview is included in this article.
Of course, they will not tell us peons which “general location” the confirmed case is. And please don’t tell me “HIPAA, etc.” prevents that. BS – nothing in HIPAA prohibits such a disclosure of relevant non-person-specific information to help mitigate a public health emergency. Doohan CAN tell us, but won’t. For political, not legal reasons. HIPAA has been, for the most part, merely a means to shield one’s organization from injured/angry customers/patients/citizens, the ever-present excuse to stonewall people.
Of course, the person’s name and specific residence address should not be disclosed, but the city/town of can and should be disclosed. Why? Because people can take heightened measures there. We cannot all live at maximum readiness 24/7/365 for unknown threats, there has to be some down time. We are not machines.
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/296/may-covered-entities-disclose-facially-identifiable-protected-health-information/index.html
“The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose the amount and type of protected health information that is needed for public health purposes.”
It’s a leap year. We must all live at maximum readiness 24/7/366!
What difference would it make knowing which city this person lives in opposed to not knowing, other than causing more panic? Keep following the guidelines. Social distancing, hand washing and staying home unless it’s absolutely necessary to leave your home. It’s not a matter of “if” people are going to get COVID19, it’s a matter of “when…” obviously. They’re trying to flatten the curve for people coming into hospitals instead of being in a situation like Italy is in. Italy’s hospitals are so overwhelmed that they are turning people away based on who has the better chance of living.
What are the best surfaces to lick to build up an immunity to this?
Pin pads, fast food touch screen, gas pumps………
Any/all grocery store shelves should suffice. Good luck to you.
This is hysteria and fear pushing us one bridge too far. We are a rural county goddammit. This solution is stupid and draconian unless you live in a suburb or city. It is 100% possible for healthy people to go about there work in many cases. Half this county is already self isolating every damn day in the hills and woods. And half the damn county lives hand to mouth and doesn’t exist as far as getting a government check goes. I am not someone who thinks this virus is a hoax or to be taken lightly but this is fucking stupid.
Yes I agree fully. Complete BS. I will never forget this. Its a complete insult.
agree completely w both Dave & commenter, being one of the described people as well as being a highly at risk senior– bureaucrats are always challenged by their own mediocrity and perhaps many of ours are less lame than those elsewhere. Still, there’s a lot more Bravo Sierra flying than one can be comfortable with.
I agree sir! My wife and are reclusive all year long. We love being alone in the forest.
Take care and remember to 😃 smile…..
We as a town do not have so much contact with each other as it is. People keep to themselves more now anyway. How many of us know all of our neighbors? When I was a kid we knew them all and they knew us. If you needed something while cooking dinner you could run over to the neighbor and borrow an egg and return a couple next time you went to the store. Or better yet, give them a 1/4 of the pan of brownies you just baked. We do not do that anymore. We do not wave to people passing the house while driving either. I do and enjoy the smiles and responses I get back. Mostly older people are the ones who smile back at me and wave. Younger people tend not to wave back. I even get the occasion finger from a person not having such a great day. In my opinion though as a town we need more social things in normal times so that when times like this hit, we can all help each other instead of hiding in our houses and peeking out the windows. Yes self isolation will prevent the virus but it will also continue to build fences and walls around a town that no longer says hello to our neighbor. Stuff like this only makes us fear our neighbor or have fear for the unknown neighbor when in fact they may need our support and friendliness during this lonely time. Leave a pan of brownies on a neighbors porch and maybe we can get a pay it forward campaign going. Would it be a nice surprise to have a fresh brownie as we stare out the window at the rain, afraid to venture into the unknown. 😉
…not if the brownie had caronavirus on it! LOL
We just would hope there JUST brownies. Scary isn’t it? I do agree with you. I would walk a mile for a hug and a smile…..take care.
You brownies are safe, they just came out of a hot oven. The virus doesn’t like hot anything.
Being cautious is one thing being kept a prisoner in your own home is the beginning of socialism. I’m 77 and I have seem a few viruses but this is out of hand.
Wash your hands! Listen to the order! Don’t be a moron spreading this. Use bleach. Don’t hug your grandparents. Suck it up for a few months. Quit blaming others and look in the mirror. Be solution and not the problem. Help your neighbor and do the right thing. It’s time to stop thinking of yourself and time to care of others. Man up! Women up! We are Americans if you hate this country and hate your community leave. Stop whining! Thanks…
YAAAASSS, finally, everyone around me are complaining..seriously, I hast want to scream..
This is insane…!!!!!!….Why can’t we know which town in Mendocino County with confirmed case of covid-19. It’s sad we have to hide out in our residents,some don’t have homes,what about the homeless? We are Americans and I believe United we stand.. Divided we fall. It’s time we help our fellow brothers and sisters,just take precautions. I really think this is blown way out of proportion. Buck up and do what you feel is right in your ❤️ heart. We need to stand together in a crisis not hide.
To “J” who wrote to “use bleach”. Here is an article on why soap and water is better than bleach to clean surfaces. It also describes how long the virus lives on different surfaces. Enjoy.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/03/why-soap-preferable-bleach-fight-against-coronavirus/
It doesn’t matter what town COVID-19 has been confirmed in. Likely it’s everywhere already. There hasn’t been enough testing to say. Even if it’s not already all over mendo. Act like it is. Get sloppy thinking your still safe cus it’s in Ukiah, or fort Bragg, and your somewhere else. You might catch it.
Be a patriot. Be as careful as you possibly can about catching this virus. You may have it, be contagious & not even know it yet.
If you are not being as careful & clean as you can possibly be right now. Then you are continuing to the demise of our country.
& Replying D Adams:
Stay off my porch with your infected brownies. Are you F-ing crazy? Typhoid Mary?
I think he just REALLY wants brownies…
Might be the person that gave me the finger when I waved and said hi. Just trying to be nice, relax a bit. I am pretty sure there a no cases on the virus being passed in brownies.
Stop the whining and isolate!
There is no way I would eat someone’s Brownies at this point. Some of you people just don’t get it. We have to be CAREFUL! I understand this whole Corona virus has everybody up in arms and tensions are high. I have never seen anything like this in my 60 years of existence, and it’s getting worse daily! Everybody needs to isolate as much as possible and do the right thing! So much selfishness out there right now. People can have the virus and pass it on to someone else without even knowing it. Use common sense and don’t think you’re better than this!