Public Health Officer Dr. Coren issued two new orders in response to the current COVID-19 surge and asked the Board of Supervisors’ to utilize emergency ordinances to enforce a vaccine and testing policy recommendation for employers in Mendocino County
MENDOCINO Co., 8/4/21 — Mendocino County is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases with 89 reported over the past weekend, and 31 cases Tuesday evening bringing the total to 4,830 cases. Fourteen people are currently hospitalized and six of those are in the ICU. Another death from COVID was reported Friday evening – a 75-year-old man from Willits.
On Tuesday, Public Health Officer Dr. Coren issued two new orders: universal masking for people regardless of vaccination status indoors in public settings and extension of a California Department of Public Health order mandating a vaccine or test policy to include Mendocino County Fire, Emergency Medical Services, and Law Enforcement.
Dr. Coren said hospitalization rates are approaching levels not seen since last winter. On Sunday, 14 people were in the hospital for COVID, six of whom were in the ICU. Unvaccinated people make up 88% of cases countywide, 99% of symptomatic cases and 95% of hospitalizations. There have been no deaths of vaccinated people.
The Delta variant now accounts for 83% of all COVID cases in the United States. California is seeing an uptick in cases and the Delta variant in Mendocino County has been confirmed by whole genome sequencing.
The Delta variant has been found to have a viral load a thousand times greater than previous variants for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. While fully vaccinated people are more protected from hospitalization or death from the virus, the CDC now says the virus can be transmitted by those fully vaccinated even without symptoms.
“The virus passes as quickly as the chickenpox, which is very very transmissible,” Public Health Officer Dr. Coren told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Over the past week county officials say vaccinations have increased slightly. As of July 31, 61.6% of Mendocino County residents have been fully vaccinated and 70.9% have received at least one dose. Mendocino County has seen a 9.7% increase in vaccinations for Latinos in the last month, according to the state’s COVID dashboard. Out of the cases over the weekend, 42 out of 89 were white people.
Across the country on federal, state and local levels, COVID response is changing. On July 29, the Biden Administration directed universal masking in addition to a vaccination and testing policy for federal workers and encouraged private sector employers to follow their model, and California is also requiring state and health care workers to be vaccinated or tested regularly. Companies like Google and Facebook are now mandating employees to be vaccinated.
“In the absence of mandates we would not have conquered chickenpox, measles, diphtheria, and polio for our children,” Dr. Coren said, adding that not responding would risk shutting down schools and businesses, as well as an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
Dr. Coren issued two new orders in response to the current COVID surge: universal indoor masking starting August 10, and a requirement that fire, EMS and law enforcement are vaccinated or regularly tested by September 1. Coren also asked the Board of Supervisors to utilize emergency ordinances to enforce a recommendation for employers in Mendocino County to develop and implement vaccination or testing policies for their employees.
Dr. Coren presented the following orders and one recommendation to be determined:
∙ ORDER: Resuming universal masking indoors in public settings for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated (August 10st).
∙ ORDER: Extending California Department of Public Health’s Vaccinate or Test Policy to include Mendocino County Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement (September 1st).
∙ GUIDANCE: That employers implement a Vax or Test Policy for their employees; that Mendocino County Board of Supervisors act as a health leader and direct Human Resources to develop and implement that policy for its County employees.
Response from the Board of Supervisors was overwhelmingly in favor. “Some people are going to feel personally offended that we are violating their rights,” said Supervisor McGourty. “Well, I have a right, too. I have a right to stay healthy… This is really important for us to move forward and be very proactive.”
Supervisor Haschak offered his support and said that community members had expressed concern about feeling unsafe, but without much choice, because they need to shop at essential businesses, like grocery stores.
Kirk Ford, DOC manager for Mendocino County Public Health, found the recommendation about businesses to be a potentially tricky legal issue that might appear to “circumvent labor unions or complaint issues of the Public Health Officer’s authority versus those of the County’s Administration.” He suggested the Board discuss DPH’s recommendation further.
Supervisor Mulhern asked if there would be more access to rapid testing, in lieu of the potential mandate that employers implement vaccination and testing policies for their employees. Dr. Coren said that would be possible through the California Testing Taskforce, adding that school systems countywide have access to rapid testing and other organizations can apply through the testing taskforce. “There’s a pretty well-greased system at this point,” said Dr. Coren.
Public comments supported the Public Health department’s directives. “We need the full support of the Board and Public Health department in order to get people to comply,” said Julia Kendrick Conway, a business owner and founding member of the Mendocino County Wedding and Events task group. “We stand in unity with the tourism and lodging community in this request. It is critical to the safety of guests and the safety of employees and the greater community. Our local economy cannot sustain another shutdown, so please take preemptive action now.”
Conway also read a statement from the Mendocino County Lodging ‘s task group in support of the Public Health department’s orders.
Sara Woods, from Anchor Bay, asked if PPE would be provided to protect essential workers like her 17 year-old child, who is a cashier at an essential business, and wanted more to be done to support youth who are ineligible to receive the vaccine.
Dr. Coren responded that employers must provide PPE, and Supervisor Mulheren added that local Chambers of Commerce have masks and hand sanitizer available for businesses.
Masking and testing will be mandatory in schools and outdoor activities are encouraged for children, an age group that has become more of a concern with the Delta variant than previous COVID variants. Public Health will be discussing “preparedness for any childhood cases that need hospitalization” with the hospital system on Wednesday. Public Health is also coordinating vaccine clinics at schools.
“At this point, it’s looking like Pfizer may have emergency use authorization for the 5-12 year old children within the next month, possibly two months,” said Dr. Coren. “The younger people will have to wait until the winter time when those will be available and approved.”
“Let me reinforce that we should definitely be looking forward to 100% of our children being in schools this fall … I believe that it’s safe and I think it’s safer than keeping them home and outside of school,” he continued. “And I think we will have a good season, but we do have to look up ahead and protect the whole community from this variant so it doesn’t spread to the kids or through the kids.” Coren said if children have medical needs or learning needs that prevent them from wearing a mask, face shields and bibs will be provided.
Daily case counts appear to outpace anything seen previously in the county in 2021. In May and June, Coren said, Mendocino County COVID case rates increased from 3 to 6 cases per day and in July cases shot to 21.4 per day exceeding the surge in February. Since the weekend, the county has reported 120 cases. Previously, the highest numbers were recorded last year, when 57 daily cases were reported twice in December 2021.
Neighboring Lake County is reporting 50.2 cases per 100,000 residents – the highest in the state and “at the current rate Mendocino could be there in two to three weeks,” Dr. Coren said. Still, Coren said there are high risk community exposures, but no known outbreaks.
“We are over COVID, but it is not over us,” Dr. Coren said.
covi
Here’s the press release from Mendocino County Public Health:
Public Notice: Mendocino County Public Health Officer presentation to the Board of Supervisors
Dr. Andy Coren, Mendocino County’s Public Health Officer, gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors today which he asked the Board of Supervisors for their support combating the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus in Mendocino County. Dr. Coren proposed the Health Orders and Guidance as follows:
∙ ORDER: Resuming universal masking indoors in public settings for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated (August 10st).
∙ ORDER: Extending California Department of Public Health’s Vaccinate or Test Policy to include Mendocino County Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement (September 1st).
∙ GUIDANCE: That employers implement a Vax or Test Policy for their employees; that Mendocino County Board of Supervisors act as a health leader and direct Human Resources to develop and implement that policy for its County employees.
Dr. Coren and Mendocino County Counsel are currently in the process of drafting these orders, official Health Orders will follow.
After discussion, the Board of Supervisors directed Human Resources to implement Dr. Coren’s Vax or Test Policy. After the specifics are defined, County employees who are not vaccinated will be required to take a COVID test at regular intervals.
Mendocino County Lodging Owners and Operators voiced their support:
“Our community businesses cannot sustain another shutdown so please take preemptive action now”
For the complete statement and a recording of the presentation follow this link: HERE
COVID TESTING & VACCINE INFO: For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and masking, contact the Mendocino County Public Health COVID19 Call Center at (707) 472-2759 or visit their website here. You can read our ongoing coverage of the pandemic here, and find the current county COVID-19 data here.
In before medical hoaxers or folks that are more concerned about a vaccine from a lab in capitalist America then a weaponized virus from a state run lab in communist China. If I just did my research on biased internet sites fed to me on social media I would really know the “truth.”
That “weaponized virus” was designed at the University of North Carolina and funded by Lord Fauci’s NIAID. So, in short, the virus is just as “capitalist” as the fraudulent “vaccines.”
The Orange County Board of Education (OCBE) voted during an Aug. 3 special session to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom for extending the state of emergency and mandating masks for students during the next curricular year. Epoch Times
The war against COVID-19 is not meant to be won. It is meant to be continuous.
At this point only fools are unvacinated
I often find the most people scared of the Wuhan flu don’t know the mortality rates.
Sheep no more.
Many thought that Jonestown could never happen again. Now we’re seeing it on a worldwide basis. “Give me that mystery juice, always-benevolent government and corporations!”
NOT safe.
NOT effective.
Yes!!! Tokalenko, the master at finding the actual truth on the internet and then molding his world view around it, made a late night appearance!! Undoubtedly after finding new truths to share deep in the depths of the World Wide Web. Thanks for enlightening us all with your bloodhound like nose for wisdom on the interwebs!!
Instead of showing ignorance and spewing nonsense, you are welcome to dispute what he said. Or just keep listening to “gov. officials” that know what’s best for you.
I’m not here to argue or change anyone’s mind and I certainly don’t trust the government. The only thing I’m spewing is that the internet is full of ignorance and nonsense. I learned how to properly vet internet sources so I am very happy with my truth. You may very well be living in a glass house Lorenzo but I do respect how quickly you come to the defense of your brethren…best wishes!
Habitual Liar Justadude says: “I certainly don’t trust the government.”
OF COURSE you trust the the government! And worse, you trusted the TRUMP “government” by taking the Liquid Idol purporting to be a “vaccine.”
Habitual liar tokalenko took the government jab he’s just acting like he didn’t because he’s a scared liar! WE ALL KNOW IT!!!! Lol your ad hominem is rich and anyone can do it 🙂
If an article only mentions “cases” or a “surge in case numbers” and do not mention the millions upon millions that have recovered, they are being deceitful. Remember the days we used to report how many flu cases and deaths we had every day? Yea me neither.
Vaccine propaganda BOT FARM catapults Big Pharma lies across social media while those who tell the truth are silenced
08/04/2021 / By Lance D Johnson /
It’s all “health” theater. A live-action theatrical performance, starring all of us, whether we like it or not.
The CDC and CDPH numbers are overcooked, and only the obtuse can’t see they’re completely divorced from reality. Just compare the data from the UK NHS, Israel, Iceland, and other countries to show “safe and effective” is a lie so bold it’s almost impossible to believe it’s falsehood – and that’s why so many of the gullible do believe it. “They wouldn’t make up stuff like that.” Yes, they would.
The controllers are getting desperate, spewing more CONVID hogwash as more evidence emerges daily that masks are not just useless, they are dangerous; that the “vaccine” is neither safe nor effective, but has maimed and killed many victims; that the death count from an unisolated, shapeshifting “virus” is no worse than the number of deaths in a typical annual influenza/pneumonia epidemic. In fact, the CDC reports an astronomical drop in flu deaths in 2020 compared to 2019. Then they dance around that inconvenient revelation by attributing it to masks, sanitizer and distancing. But wait… if those measures were so successful in preventing flu, why are CONVID cases drastically increasing? Damage control can be a real b*tch sometimes.
100% spot on!
They need to shut down all the fast food that leads to more deaths than Covid . Wearing a masking isn’t gonna help the millions of overweight obese people dying of heart disease
I’m not for gov control of restaurants but you have a funny point! 🙂 Obesity is a killer no doubt but people should be free to stuff their fat faces with cow assholes and eyeballs if they want. I mean that seriously…how hard do you want to work for your food? You can be fed soylent green or you can hunt your meat! 🙂