UPDATE 5/18/20 — Here is our latest on this issue, the church has been identified:
ORIGINAL
MENDOCINO Co., 5/17/20 — Three people contracted COVID-19 at a live-streamed church service that happened on Mother’s Day; two were Lake County residents and the third is the man who is counted as Mendocino County’s 14th confirmed case of the disease. However, one of the Lake County residents has been hospitalized at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, while the other Lake County resident and the Mendocino County resident are isolating at home in stable condition.
The service was at an inland Mendocino County church, at which a group of unknown size gathered, and where singing was performed and live-streamed, presumably to the church’s Facebook or YouTube page.
Mendocino Public Health is adhering to their policy of protecting privacy and has not released the name of the church — however, they are strongly urging church leaders to announce the name of the church themselves so that people connected to these cases may be informed and seek testing for the coronavirus disease.
Here is the press release from Mendocino Public Health:
Health Officer Update on Fourteenth Case
Post Date: 05/17/2020 12:44 PM
On Friday evening May 15, 2020, the 14th Mendocino County COVID-19 case was reported to Public Health. The case investigation and contact tracing was immediately initiated by Public Health to learn the source of infection and ensure that asymptomatic contacts were quarantined and symptomatic contacts were tested and isolated. Initial findings of this investigation were determined and verified by Saturday evening, followed by a prompt Statement by Mendocino County on Saturday evening, identifying the 14th case as an elderly male living in the Ukiah Valley who is a close contact of two residents of Lake County, who themselves had been newly diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday afternoon.
The source of this outbreak involving three people has been determined to have happened at an inland Mendocino County church where a live stream church service with singing occurred on Mother’s Day. All three of the new cases (the 14th Mendocino County case and the two new Lake County cases) where at the venue during the live stream and two of the individuals participated in the live stream event with singing at the church. Mendocino and Lake County Public Health are working together to reach any other individuals who are contacts of these three new cases, including anyone who participated in the live stream church service with singing.
One of the Lake County residents was hospitalized at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley on Saturday. The other Lake County resident and the Mendocino County 14th case are in stable condition, in isolation, at their homes.
To protect privacy, Mendocino County is not releasing the name of the inland Mendocino church at this time, but is urging the church leaders to do so themselves in order to encourage members of the church to seek testing for COVID-19 and medical attention if needed.
Free COVID19 testing will be offered by Mendocino County Public Health on Tuesday, May 19 in Redwood Valley at Eagle Peak Middle School from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. Any individuals who have participated in the production a live stream church service with singing in inland Mendocino County on Mother’s day and their close contacts are urged to come for this free testing if they are not sick, or to contact their medical provider and seek medical attention (call ahead) if they are sick.
It is critical for organizations where work groups engage in live-streaming of events follow section 14(p)(iii) of the Health Order by implementing the required safety measures and mitigating additional risk associated with singing like utilizing a plexiglass screen between singers in the same venue, proper ventilation, distancing greater than six feet and ensuring singers are not positioned face-to-face. The additional safety measures while signing can help prevent outbreaks seen in other areas of the Country like Washington State (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm). Following the Facial Covering Order while at work is also an important step in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Here’s our reporting from yesterday:
And here is more information about the new health order:
Live in Washington state Olympia area have realitives in you’re area.thanks for the article.
No one can object to keeping infected individuals names private. However, no one owes that same privilege to an organization – in this case a church. Especially if there is a possibility that the church may have been acting irresponsibly. However, whether the church was irresponsible or not is a secondary issue now as there is a possibility of a spread. The public has a right to know the name of the church in order to decide for themselves if they are going to remain clear of the church, or church members in order to protect their own health or the health of family members. The decision to inform the public of the name of the church should NOT be left up to that church, this is a public health issue that could result in illness or death.
Right on. Now how do we make public health do its job? I believe they are acting irresponsible and deserve to be fired if they are not capable of enforcement.
I suspect the name of the church is being withheld considering the number of kooks in this county who would take action against the church, such as trying to burn it down or commit other violence against the property or even members.
If those who suffer from COVID-19 hysteria were sane, I’d be very much in favor of immediate release of the name of the church. At this point, I’m neutral.
The headline and the sub-headline both say this happened at a church in Mendocino. It did not. It would be great if journalists distinguished between Mendocino County and the village of Mendocino.
I agree and hope that this article is edited to make that distinction.
We edited the headline yesterday, we sometimes try to keep things short so they are legible when posted but we appreciate the feedback.
Arrest whomever is responsible for breaking the SIP order!!!
Several United States District Courts have ruled, correctly, that forced shutdowns of churches are anti-constitutional.
People also have a right to know if someone picked up the “virus” at Target, Home Depot, Walmart, or wherever else more than one person is involved in closer contact or transaction. The Churches are already being unfairly targeted no matter how they try to comply with current orders of the day. Do you actually think nothing but a bunch uneducated yokels are the only ones attending church? There are Drs, lawyers, dentists, vetranarians, contractors, etc, etc. Some have Pastors who are extremely musically talented. One pastor I personally know, has published and produced 6 CDs, plays 5 different instruments, and has written and at least 25 + songs! So yes, there are some incredibly talented people who attend Church. We are NOT just so many dum dums because we believe in a Creator. We are HUMBLE enough to recognize we are not the end all.
No one said you were dumb. However, here is a news flash for you. God can be worshipped anywhere. God does not demand you worship in a church, but,,,, He wants us in worship groups for human contact and understanding. My thought is God does not want us congregating and infecting our brothers and sisters with this terrible virus.
It doesn’t matter to me how educated or not you are but it does matter to me when your actions put me and mine at risk.
The devils who are pushing the lies of this plandemic hate Christ and Christianity, and would love to see the churches be shut down forever. These are the same “people” who not only shrieked when it was suggested those infected with AIDS be quarantined, but they passed “laws” that prohibited even exposed health care workers from knowing HIV+ status of the exposer. These “people” DO NOT CARE about anyone but themselves and their own twisted agenda. They don’t care if tens of millions are out of work and out of money so they themselves can “feel safe,” and they don’t care that more people will die of suicide and despair than COVID-19.
Further, these “people” are also the same that shriek when abortions were deemed “non-essential” during this crisis, even though pregnancy is not a disease requiring treatment, and such an elective “procedure” wasted medical resources. Simultaneously, they denounce the First Amendment’s protections of freedom of expression, worship, and assembly.
Too much over-reacting. Anyone get the plain old flu or pneumonia? Bet they have.
Been to ny lately? Plain old flu my ass!! I’d like to say experiment all you want but not if your actions affect my health or my loved ones.
Dorothy Ferri: please cut the crap about New York. Brave souls such as Jason Goodman exposed the lies of De Blasio and Cuomo about the alleged apocalypse in NY. Year-to-year deaths are not drastically up anywhere in America; deaths in previous years are now classed as “COVID-19” deaths, because the “health care” institutions receive five-figure bonuses from the Feds.
As for our alleged “responsibility” to make you “feel safe,” no such responsibility exists. If you are afraid, stay home. If you are afraid, wear a mask. Better yet, I better not catch you driving around on streets and roads, because every time you choose to go out driving around, you put MY FAMILY AT RISK. You might crash into us! OMG, OMG, let’s lock Dorothy up for her selfish recklessness!! Of course, I’m being facetious, but I really wish you people would get it through your head you are suffering from delusions based on hysteria.
Whoever wrote this story needs to go back to journalism 101. What a bunch of misinformation and frankly patient info is nunyabidness.
It may be if you are concerned you were standing next to them or in contact with someone that was.
These persons went to a church service knowing they were infected with covid 19. I think they should be arrested and fined. To know you are contagious with a disease as deadly as covid 19 and still go to an event makes you very callous. This action says these people don’t think of other people. I don’t think there should be patient confidentiality. They were to be in quarantine until they test negative or two weeks. They broke the SIP order and put several people at risk!!! I’m angry!!!
I totally agree with you! How do we make public health do their job?
Aw, you poor thing. You don’t seem to care about the community spread at Walmart or Costco, for some odd reason. Are you wanting the Stasi Health Police to “arrest” people there, as well? Or maybe you are just anti-Christian?
I’m angry, as well: I see my country’s economy destroyed, and tens of millions of my fellow Americans in dire straits, so you can “feel safe.” We recently learned a family friend had committed suicide from despair, because he could not visit his loved one in a nursing home. THAT is real human tragedy you people don’t care about. That death is ON YOU.
The current notice clearly states that an emergency shelter clinics regarding this new event will be in REDWOOD VALLEY,(I.e. SOUTH OF WILLITS)…ON TUESDAY. I
I believe that it is very poor journalism to use a picture of a Public Health event last month for THIS article. It makes Round Valley feel “shame”…. I Thank You for understanding the difference. And how upset could have been avoided simple by adding a CLEAR CAPTION, and/or perhaps a generic pic, rather that one taking on the Rez.
Apologies. Use of stock photos is a very common practice and honestly we have to use a photo every time to post on Facebook otherwise Facebook doesn’t show the article to anyone. We used this photo because it showed some county workers doing the good job of conducting testings which we saw as a positive thing. But your point is taken the the image has been swapped.
I wish that as reporters you would be more careful with the words you choose too use and pictures. As they can have a negative effect on places that have nothing to do with this article. The first being you saying Mendocino Church instead of Mendocino County. There is a difference. Also using a picture from the Round Valley Testing and having that as the caption. This can lead people to believe that the church was in Round Valley. We as a town have got enough bad press we don’t need more. Especially with Dr.Doohan accusing our community of going “underground” acting like people out here have it but aren’t getting tested. Total BS! She knows nothing! Just because someone won’t call you back. We live out here for a reason, to not be bothered!
Thank you GetItRight for speaking out. I agree completely Dr. Doohan’s comment about going “underground” was very distasteful. Take Care!!
Apologies. Use of stock photos is a very common practice and honestly we have to use a photo every time to post on Facebook otherwise Facebook doesn’t show the article to anyone. We used this photo because it showed some county workers doing the good job of conducting testings which we saw as a positive thing. But your point is taken the the image has been swapped.
The main thing now is follow-up. When were these people exposed and by whom and where have they been since? Not an easy task. There should be some educational measures here to assure that everyone knows the danger of singing in a group. Although after this everyone should be aware, as they should have been already. Let’s just hope Covid hits a road block on this one!
How dare Mendocino public health withhold the name and location of church where folks like spreading covid. Irresponsible and callous of public health to not enforce safety standards. Spreading this virus is no different than attempting murder. Plain and simple. If you are one of those who believe gods gonna save you well go find away to take yourself down without the rest of us..yes I am angry at all the stupidity and selfishness.
I think many will be angry. However, it may not be as bad as you think, and we have to solve the problem, not just react emotionally. Can’t blame people for being upset, though. But maybe this is a lesson, that as things open up there will be cases of people thinking that they have more freedom than they do. There is a tendency in some to be that way anyway, and then they get a yellow light (not green yet) and they speed up to make it through the light. They don’t see that semi coming right at them from the right with the guy driving the semi seeing his light’s about to turn green. Am I making sense here? Because people do not see the danger here in Mendocino County they do dumb things, not realizing it’s a life or death issue.
Because they are not calling this community spread ,does that means that someone went to this social gathering knowing that they had been exposed? Hopefully they are being held accountable for their actions. Way to make this last few months of torture for nothing. Use your brains people. I am not religious now but I did grow up in a strict Christian household and I am pretty sure the Bible states that it’s wrong to inflict harm on another person or yourself. Breaking the sip order to go to church also breaks laws in the Bible.
The Bible says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, but because of the hysterical, utterly irrational fear of millions, tens of millions more of our fellow Americans are without money, and soon, without housing. You people criticize those who go to church, but seem completely blind, or willfully ignorant of the massive economic and psychological damage you’ve inflicted on many times as many folks as COVID-19 has directly affected. More people are going to die of suicide and despair than COVID-19!
As for law, the Supreme Law of the Land is the Constitution, or, in this case, the First Amendment. The Bill of Rights does not magically become void when there is a disease outbreak. Freedom of worship exists because neither government nor “the community” (usually self-appointed) has a right to tell Americans how or when or where to worship; lessons learned over centuries, with a pile of bodies of martyrs to show for such hard lessons.
Public health doing their job are you following the guidelines?
So now you’ve pissed off everybody in Round Valley because you used a pic of Covid testing from there in your story about a church somewhere else. Better be careful with those poor downtrodden Round Valley folk. We feel we’re always being picked on, e.g. Dr. Noohan’s reference to the virus going “underground” here. But, the larger question is, why do you feel that you have to use the “visual” in every story, so much so that you use one frankly only peripherally related to the story subject (and that incidentally pisses people off where the pic comes from)? Maybe just be bold enough to let the headline suffice and forget all that journalism school BS? Your thoughts (I’m debating subscribing)?
Apologies. Use of stock photos is a very common practice and honestly we have to use a photo every time to post on Facebook otherwise Facebook doesn’t show the article to anyone. We used this photo because it showed some county workers doing the good job of conducting testings which we saw as a positive thing. But your point is taken the the image has been swapped.
We do typically include as many original photographs related to the articles as possible; in an effort to maintain social distancing we have been limiting our trips out reporting and so have been using more stock photographs than we usually would but we appreciate the feedback. We also understand that some parts of the county historically have been covered by the newspapers when “bad news” occurs, and although we have had a small staff and limited resources, we appreciate all the parts of Mendocino County and try to report on a variety of different things in different areas. We hope to be able to expand our coverage in all areas soon. You are welcome to get in touch here or email [email protected] anytime, we don’t always see these comments right away.