What you need to know about COVID-19 in Mendocino County (updated 6pm, 3/17)

By Kate B. Maxwell | March 16, 2020

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MENDOCINO Co., 3/16/19 — Information about the number of cases of COVID-19 (aka the novel coronavirus), testing availability, local preparations, and state and federal responses has been rapidly evolving. To help keep you up to speed, we’ve put together a lot of relevant information in this article, The Mendocino Voice’s local guide to information about COVID-19, which we will continue to update as information comes in.

We’ve put together a bunch of different resources in this article, but get in touch if you have questions, or tips, or something we should add. You can also find our previous coverage here. We’ve included general information about county resources, tips to stay prepared, healthy, and reduce the virus’ spread, information about nearby cases and preparation efforts, and other helpful guides. Click on the links for additional information, and we’ll be adding more over the next few days — if you don’t see something or have a question, check our most recent coverage, or get in touch at [email protected]

General information

The Mendocino County COVID-19 call center can be reached at 707-234-6052, and will be open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. with bilingual staff, on nights or weekends the call line will be monitored by county dispatch. The county is monitoring the line and will expand the hours if necessary.
El condado de Mendocino ha establecido un centro de llamadas al 707-234-6052, y el correo electrónico [email protected] El centro de atención telefónica está abierto de lunes a viernes de 8:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m. Con personal bilingüe.
You can also email [email protected] with questions.
Here’s additional COVID-19 information on the county’s website, which will be updated as new info becomes available. The webpage also includes all news releases from the county, and general guidance, as well as information for homeless people and houses of worship.
Mendocino County Public Health Facebook page
The county will issue weekly press release updates on Mondays and hold press conference on Thursdays, or more frequently as needed.
Additional materials are being produced and some will be translated into Spanish
Están creando nuevos comunicados de prensa y algunos serán traducidos al español.
Adventist Health has set up a hotline for people with questions about COVID-19: from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday you can call 1-844-542-8840 for questions; call 707-456-3057 if you are sick and need to visit the ER. If you have a different medical provider or go to a clinic, call them directly before visiting if you are sick and need treatment.
Here is general information from the State of California Department of Public Health in English and en español; CDPH is also issuing daily news updates found here.
Information about benefits offered by the state of California EDD, which has expedited payments and extended benefits due to COVID-19, including paid family leave, additional unemployment, online disability claims, and more — check to see if this could help you. Here’s additional state info for employers and workers.
Some cities as well as companies such as PG&E have suspended shutting off services or are offering payment plans for utilities, or services such as cell data usage — check with yours to see if that’s an option.
Price gouging information and how to report it
COVID-19 information from the Center For Disease Control, and the federal government’s COVID-19 website
Travel recommendations from the CDC
Here is information from the World Health Organization
the Johns Hopkins University COVID-10 information center, including international case tracker
Complete coverage from The Mendocino Voice of COVID-19 in Mendocino County
Twitter list of COVID-19 information accounts compiled by meteorologist Daniel Swain

Guidelines for the public to prepare and stay healthy

Scientists are still in the early stages of researching COVID-19, and so there is a lot yet unknown — however, public health experts warn that people who have no symptoms may be contagious and able to transmit the virus for several days before they show symptoms, and that people who have been exposed but are asymptotic, may nonetheless require 14 days of isolation.
Don’t shake hands, and avoid touching your face as much as possible.
COVID-19 is far more dangerous to elderly people. Everyone 65 and older has been told to stay home for at least two weeks by California Governor Newsom as of March 15; more information at the California Department of Public Health.
Practice “social distancing.” Avoid contact with sick people. Follow the California guidelines for best practices in different situations.
Wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face and mouth with your hands, including after touching common surfaces, before eating, and when arriving home.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is primarily spread through droplets, and can be spread like the flu, so preventative measures and changing “lifestyle practices” like disinfecting common surfaces, washing your hands, wearing a mask when sick and staying home, not sharing utensils, using non-contact greetings, and coughing into a tissue or your elbow will help prevent the spread, slow the progression, and protect more vulnerable communities members.
Stay home if you are feeling sick! Adventist Health has set up a hotline for people with questions about COVID-19: from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday you can call 1-844-542-8840 for questions; call 707-456-3057 if you are sick and need to visit the ER. If you have a different medical provider or go to a clinic, call them directly before visiting if you are sick and need treatment.
The incubation time, that is the time between in infection and the onset of symptoms is an average of 5 days, with almost all patients showing symptoms by 12 days. Quarantines or self-quarantines are lasting 14 days with the assumption that had they failed to show symptoms by that time they were disease free.
Prepare to stay home if necessary, since some people may be asked to self-quarantine for two weeks or more.
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including severe, cough, and respiratory difficulties and need medical attention, call ahead so that medical staff and emergency workers can take necessary precautions. Contact your primary care physician or the county public health department if you are seeking testing so safety arrangements can be made.
More tips here — Guidelines from the CDC about what you should know, include preparation, symptoms, what to do when sick, FAQs, tips for employers, and more
Mendocino County officials recommend you talk with your family, friends, neighbors, and more vulnerable people about if they are prepared, and how you can assist, especially if they need medical attention or quarantine. This is also a good recommendation for many more remote or vulnerable residents in general disaster preparedness planning, such as wildfire evacuations or planned power shut-offs.

Mendocino County and California stats

Note: please remember information is quickly changing and circumstances may have changed. These numbers are provided by Mendocino County Public Health unless otherwise noted. Commercial tests ordered by private clinics are not required to be reported to Public Health unless they test positive, so the total number of tests is uncertain. However, any and all tests that comes back positive will immediately be reported to Public Health.