MENDOCINO Co., 8/10/20 — It’s a months old story, but every day brings a new twist as the coronavirus continues its spread through the population. Today both the Mendocino County Jail and the Ukiah Unified School District announced infections, and in the past week it was revealed that Walmart has had three employees test positive. As the virus spreads across the populations, more people at important and public institutions are testing positive, raising fears of additional community spread.
Due to privacy concerns both Ukiah Unified and Mendocino Public Health declined to state whether the employee was a classified employee or a teacher, nor how they may have caught it or where. However UUSD spokesman Doug Shald noted that the Chromebook handout had been postponed. Some children did receive Chromebooks earlier today and officials advised that they disinfect their computers — adding that that should be a standard practice whenever getting receiving such goods.
At the Mendocino County Jail a single inmate has tested positive for the virus. The 42 year old man had been extradited from out-of-state and according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office he had not been in contact with other inmates. According to their statement, pursuant to COVID-era protocols, the man had been placed into a 14 day quarantine and given a COVID test upon arriving at the jail.
Though the statement says that he did not come into contact with inmates he inevitably came in contact with law enforcement staff in the course of being transported and admitted to the jail. In a brief phone interview Sheriff Matt Kendal explained that,
“Even with those precautions in place we’ve got two transportation officers that are getting tested, andone corrections officer who’s going to get tested.” He added that, “Everybody who comes to the jail is checked by a nurse and that nurse is wearing proper PPE — the whole 9 yards.”
The corrections and transport officers are not currently in quarantine, as Sheriff Kendall explained they are “considered a tertiary exposure.” He added that a single vehicle was used in transport and that the windows were kept down.
The Coyote Valley is sovereign land and not subject to the restrictions of county orders in the same way the rest of the county is. There has been at least one positive case confirmed among gas station staff, and the gas station store is temporarily closed, and the casino has recently closed its tables. Sewage testing at the reservation has confirmed the presence of COVID-19 there.
Two cases were also confirmed amongst county staff at the assessor-clerk-recorder’s office this morning, and the office is temporarily closed to the public.
Here is the statement UUSD made on Facebook, below that is a statement sent over email:
UUSD was notified today that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, we canceled UHS Chromebook distribution for the rest of today and tomorrow. The health and safety of our students and staff is a priority. We have contacted Public Health to ensure we are taking all of the steps necessary to keep our students and staff safe in this situation.
It is unlikely that there would be any exposure due to having picked up a Chromebook; however, if you have already picked up your Chromebook this morning, please let the Chromebook sit for 72 hours and disinfect the Chromebook with disinfecting wipes.
Ukiah Unified will be doing additional disinfecting of Chromebooks before any further distribution this week and next week. Chromebook distribution will begin again on Thursday, August 13, 2020. A detailed revised schedule will be distributed tomorrow afternoon.
Email statement:
UUSD was notified today that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, we canceled UHS Chromebook distribution for the rest of today and tomorrow. The health and safety of our students and staff is a priority. We have contacted Public Health to ensure we are taking all of the steps necessary to keep our students and staff safe in this situation.
It is unlikely that there would be any exposure due to having picked up a Chromebook; however, if you have already picked up your Chromebook this morning, please let the Chromebook sit for 72 hours and disinfect the Chromebook with disinfecting wipes.
Ukiah Unified will be doing additional disinfecting of Chromebooks before any further distribution this week and next week. Chromebook distribution will begin again on Thursday, August 13, 2020. A detailed revised schedule will be distributed tomorrow afternoon.
Here is the statement from the MCSO:
Mendocino County Jail’s First COVID-19 case
On 8/10/20, the Mendocino County Jail was advised that an inmate had tested positive for COVID-19. The 42-year-old male had been extradited from out of state on a
Mendocino County warrant.
Since the individual was being brought into custody from out of state, jail procedures direct that they are quarantined for 14 days. A COVID-19 test was also administered at intake.
Because of the procedures the jail has in place, the individual was immediately isolated and was not in contact with any other inmate in the facility.
Naphcare, the jail’s medical provider, has contacted Mendocino County Public Health. Jail medical staff will continue to monitor the individual’s progress.
This is the jail’s first case of COVID-19.