San Andreas, CA…To protect the public’s health and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19, Calaveras County Public Health recommends the following community actions. Gatherings as described below should be postponed or canceled until the end of March. In addition, all county sponsored events involving seniors and those with underlying medical conditions should be postponed or canceled.

 Large gatherings that include 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled. This includes gatherings such as concerts, conferences, and school sporting events.
 Smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person should be postponed or canceled, including gatherings in crowded auditoriums, rooms or other venues, including houses of worship.
 Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people, including gatherings such as support groups for people with health conditions.
A “gathering” is any event or convening that brings together people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, or any other indoor or outdoor space.

This applies to all non-essential professional, social, and community gatherings regardless of their sponsor. Gatherings that do not meet the aforementioned criteria should only be conducted when they are essential— that is, if the activity is essential and could not be postponed or achieved without gathering, meaning that some other means of communication could not be used to conduct the essential function.

What can be done to a make a gathering safer if it is essential or small?
 Stagger activities.
 Add frequency of an event to spread out attendance, e.g. hold more, smaller gatherings.
 Add distance between where individuals sit or stand around tables.
 Add additional hand washing stations and restrooms.
 Limit the number of people in lines.
 Avoid direct physical contact, such as shaking hands, holding hands, and hugging.
 Extend hours to allow for staggering of attendance or participation.
 Use phones, videos or video conferencing to reduce the need for close interactions.
 Consider ways to encourage anyone with fever and respiratory symptoms to stay home when sick, such as:
o Offering refunds or support reselling of tickets for persons who become ill.
o Placing messages on websites, tickets, and venue entrances reminding people to protect one another by staying home if sick.

The goal of this recommendation is to prevent people physically coming together unnecessarily, where people who have the infection can easily spread it to others. This guidance does not apply to activities such as:
 Attendance at regular school classes, work, or essential services.
 Public transportation, airport travel, or shopping at a store or mall.
 Congregate living situations, including dormitories.

People at risk for serious illness or death from COVID-19
 Older adults
 Individuals with compromised immune systems
 Individuals with underlying chronic medical conditions:
 Heart disease
 Lung disease
 Diabetes

Steps for High-Risk Individuals
Individuals and caregivers can take steps now to slow the spread of respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. We recommend implementing the following steps:
 Review and update your personal emergency plan. A Personal Emergency Plan for people with access and functional needs is available on the California Health and Human Services Agency’s website.
 Avoid crowds, mass gatherings or large events, and public transit, and stay home as much as possible.
 Stay home when sick.
o If you have a fever, remain at home until fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
o Call 911 if you need emergency help and symptoms become more severe, e.g., high fever or difficulty breathing.
 Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones).
o See the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance regarding the prevention of disease in homes and residential communities.
 Use healthy habits to prevent respiratory diseases like COVID-19
o Cover cough with a tissue or sleeve. See CDC’s Cover Your Cough page.
 Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds.
o Encourage handwashing by caregivers, family, and friends.
o Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if water is not available.
o Clean regularly touched surfaces often.
o Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
 Have supplies on hand
o Call your doctor to ask about extra medication to have on hand if COVID-19 shows up in your community and you need to stay home for a period of time.
o Think about using mail-order for medicines.
o Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies (tissues, etc.) to treat fever and other symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
 Have a plan for if you get sick:
o Speak with your health care provider for more information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.
o Stay in touch with others by phone or email. You may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, community health workers, etc. if you become sick.
o Determine who can provide you with care if your caregiver gets sick.
 Watch for symptoms and emergency warning signs
o Pay attention to potential COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you develop symptoms, call your doctor, clinic, urgent care, or emergency department. Please do not show up unannounced.
o If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19, get medical attention immediately. In adults, emergency warning signs* include:
 Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
 Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
 New confusion or inability to arouse
 Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all-inclusive. Please speak with your medical provider for any other symptom that is severe or concerning.
Family and Caregiver Support
 Know what medications your loved one or client is taking and see if you can help them have extra on hand.
 Monitor food and other medical supplies (oxygen, incontinence, dialysis, wound care) needed and create a back-up plan.
 Stock up on non-perishable food items to have on hand in your home to minimize trips to stores.
 If a loved one lives in a care facility, monitor the situation, ask about the health of the other residents frequently and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.

For the most up-to-date information, go to:
Calaveras Public Health
https://covid19.calaverasgov.us/
California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
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