San Andreas, CA…On Friday, April 3, 2020, Calaveras Public Health confirmed a new case of novel coronavirus or COVID-19. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county is now four. Two of the four cases have since recovered. This additional positive case is an adult female from Valley Springs. Testing occurred outside of the county through a commercial laboratory. The source of the exposure to COVID-19 is currently under investigation at this time.

Calaveras Public Health launched a case investigation upon being notified. Public Health staff are identifying persons who may have had close personal contact with this individual, including any friends, family members or healthcare professionals, to assess and monitor them for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 illness. Close personal contacts identified during this investigation will be placed under strict quarantine.

Emerging evidence suggests that there may be people who have COVID-19 and are asymptomatic and capable of spreading the virus to others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that we take universal precautions all the time – assume that each of us can infect others even when we aren’t sick. This includes the new recommendation to wear a cloth face covering when going outside for essential activities.
“Calaveras will get through this together by staying home as much as possible, self-isolating when we are sick, and self-quarantining if we’ve been exposed, said Dean Kelaita, MD, Calaveras County Health Officer.

Keep Calaveras safe and healthy:
 Stay at home
o Wash your hands often
o Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
o Avoid being around sick people and maintain physical distancing, especially by staying at home

 Keep your space
o Avoid close contact with people who are sick
o Create a space, at least 6 feet, between people

 Cover your face
o Wear a cloth face covering when you must be in public for essential activities such as going to the grocery store or picking up medication. Surgical masks and N-95 masks are in short supply and should be reserved for healthcare professionals.

Calaveras Public Health will continue to monitor this development and the results will be released as new information becomes available. It is expected that further cases of COVID-19 infection will be identified in Calaveras residents.

Additional resources can be found on the Calaveras Public Health website at https://covid19.calaverasgov.us/. The COVID-19 Community Service Call Center is available Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm at (209) 754-2896.