San Andreas, CA…On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Calaveras Public Health confirmed five new cases of COVID-19 in Calaveras County. The cases include one female and two males between 50 to 64 years of age, and one female and one male over the age of 65. Districts 1 and 4 each had two cases to report. District 5 had one case. There are no new cases being reported in Districts 2 and 3.

Calaveras Public Health urges the public to consider getting tested, especially:
 People who have symptoms of COVID-19
 People who have had close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19
 People who have been asked or referred to get tested by their healthcare provider

“Testing goes hand-in-hand with safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, especially as schools and more businesses reopen, flu season rolls in, and cooler weather drives people indoors,” said Dr. Dean Kelaita, Calaveras County Health Officer. “We must make sure that every person and business does their part and take preventive actions in a way that does not result in more cases, illness, and deaths from COVID-19. Practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, get tested, wash your hands often, stay home if you are sick, and avoid any gatherings especially where physical distancing and masking is not being followed. If we do all of these things together we can continue to keep sectors open and at the same time protect the health and well-being of everyone in our county.”

Of the five new cases being reported, two cases are linked to an outbreak among residents of Avalon Health Care San Andreas. Avalon infection control staff continue to work closely with Calaveras Public Health in consultation with the California Department of Public Health to control the outbreak. Monitoring and tracking of any new cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff at Avalon Health Care is ongoing.

Calaveras County remains in the moderate county risk level (orange) on the state’s 4-tier COVID-19 system. Calaveras Public Health urges people to help the county lower its risk by taking necessary steps to prevent being exposed to the virus. Visit Blueprint for a Safer Economy to find specific business information and the county’s latest status.

To date, Calaveras Public Health reports a total of 329 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those cases, 306 cases have since recovered while 9 cases remain active. There have been a total of 14 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 reported in Calaveras County.

Calaveras Public Health staff continues to investigate new cases to determine any possible persons who may have had close personal contact with the positive individuals. Close contacts may be contacted by the health department, assessed and monitored for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 illness.

Calaveras Public Health invites the public to a no-cost drive thru flu clinic on October 15th from 9AM-4PM at Calaveras High School. The clinic is for those 10 years of age and older. Please speak with your local medical provider or pharmacist for flu vaccine to those under 10 years of age. The event is a collaboration between Calaveras Public Health and Dignity Health Mark Twain Medical Center. As COVID-19 continues and we head into flu season, Calaveras Public Health encourages everyone to protect themselves from the flu by getting the flu vaccine. While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, it is shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death. It can save healthcare resources to help care for patients with COVID-19.
Everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus. Some people are more likely than others to become severely ill. This means that they may need to be hospitalized, require a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.

The best ways to avoid exposure to the virus are to:
 Stay home if you are sick
 Stay at least 6 feet away from people outside of your household
 Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
 Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth when around others

Symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
 Fever or chills
 Cough
 Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
 Fatigue
 Muscle or body aches
 Headache
 New loss of taste or smell
 Sore throat
 Congestion or runny nose
 Nausea or vomiting
 Diarrhea

Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing signs, seek emergency care immediately:
 Trouble breathing
 New confusion or weakness
 Bluish lips or face
 Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
 Inability to wake or stay awake

No-cost testing for COVID-19 is available to anyone 3 years of age and older. The OptumServe COVID-19 testing site located at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds is open Tuesday-Saturday from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Walk-ins are accepted. During the first week of November the COVID-19 testing site is moving to Tuolumne County. The state testing site which is shared with Tuolumne County will be located at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora. The hours of operation will remain the same with appointments and testing starting on November 3rd. People can register online. People without Internet access should call (888) 634-1123.

After 20 years of serving as Calaveras County Health Officer, Dr. Dean Kelaita has decided to step down from his position. Over that time span, Dr. Kelaita provided duties for our community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. His role as Health Officer is of essential significance within the public health system. He worked side-by-side with a team of dedicated and committed public health professionals and staff during his time at Calaveras Public Health. Dr. Kelaita provided medical oversight and informed decision-making for 23 different elected county supervisors during his tenure, worked with numerous county health departments, served with four different county sheriffs, and collaborated with many community partners over the years.

He guided public health measures during significant public health crises including multiple disease outbreaks, the events of 9/11 and bioterrorism threats, H1N1 swine influenza, natural disasters such as the Butte fire, and now the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic.

“I have always strived to assist community leaders and decision-makers through providing unvarnished medical and scientific information, as well as technical expertise unbiased by subjectivity or partisan influence. Under the current political climate, this is no longer possible. Due to these considerations, I am resigning as Health Officer, stated Dr. Kelaita.

“I am confident that under the leadership of Health and Human Services Agency Director Kristin Stranger and excellent public health professional staff, they will continue to guide the community through the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the health of our residents.” Calaveras Public Health is working to secure interim Health Officer support and will provide more information to the public soon.

To receive information and resources related to COVID-19 visit the Calaveras County COVID-19 website.