Tuolumne County COVID-19 Report, 137 New Cases, And Another Death

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Sonora, CA – Tuolumne County Public Health has confirmed 137 new COVID-19 infections, 102 are inmate cases and there is a 15th confirmed death related to the virus.

The deceased was a previously hospitalized COVID-positive male in his 70’s. Public health relays that 34 of today’s community cases are isolating at home and one is hospitalized. They include 2 males and 4 female under 20 years old, 2 male and 7 females in their 20s, 1 males and 3 females in their 30s, one female in her 40s, 3 males and 5 females in their 50s, 1 male and 1 female in their 60s, 3 females in their 70s, 1 male in their 80’s and one female in her 90s. In addition, four individuals are hospitalized, 19 cases have been released from isolation, including one previously hospitalized individual.

Public Health has been notified of an outbreak at the Sierra Conservation Center. The State infectious disease reporting system reported 102 cases between December 5 and December 9 among the 2,137 inmates. SCC also oversees Conservation Camps throughout Central and Southern California. Between the 16 Conservation Camps, there are about 916 inmates. Public Health says “We are working with SCC on the investigation and will provide more information as it becomes available.” The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) says there are coordinated efforts with the Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) to increase the frequency of testing, conduct contact tracing and implement isolation and quarantine measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the SCC facility.

The CDCR says, “The Incident Command Post at SCC, which has been established since July, ensures immediate communication and coordination between custody and health care operations with public health experts and community stakeholders. SCC is conducting mass testing of the population, administering 2,137 COVID-19 tests to 100 percent of the incarcerated population in the last three days.”

SCC is following the mandatory 14-day statewide modified program in an effort to limit the movement of both staff and the population. This includes staggered dining and recreation schedules to allow for physical distancing and disinfecting between use while not mixing housing units, education and rehabilitation materials delivered in the housing units, and only essential transfers conducted under the CDCR/CCHCS Patient Movement Matrix which dictates mandatory testing and quarantine timeframes for all transfers. SCC is following isolation and quarantine protocols per public health and health care guidance for the incarcerated population and has a dedicated isolation unit.

All institution staff are required to wear procedure (surgical) masks while performing their duties and additional personal protective equipment (PPE), if required, based on public health guidance. At the SCC a total of 96 staff members have tested positive, 84 have returned to work, 12 are active and there have been 18 new cases in the past 14 days. The CDCR says members of the CDCR and CCHCS have an ample supply of PPE readily available for all state prisons. Additionally, all staff are screened verbally and by temperature check whenever entering institution grounds. All inmates have been provided numerous cloth facial barriers and are regularly provided cleaning supplies, with additional supplies provided upon request.

Amador County has moved from Red Tier business restrictions to the most restrictive Purple Tier. The Mule Creek State Prison has 467 new COVID-19 cases among 3,934 inmates with 89 recovered and one death. A total of 179 staff have tested positive with 89 returned to work and 79 new staff cases in the past 14 days.

The county has a total of 1,458 cases including 118 inmates with 281 active cases and 1,044 recovered. Total known tests 18,331. Tuolumne County’s case rate is 36.3 per 1,000 population and its test positivity rate is reported as 12.6%, remaining in the state’s most restrictive tier. The county is also part of the San Joaquin Valley Region that as of Wednesday has 4.2% of ICU beds available. That low bed percentage has triggered the Regional Stay at Home Order on December 5. As detailed here the new Regional Order is a protective measure to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the community and hospital frontline workers. Actions now impact ICU capacity 3-4 weeks from now. View the regional ICU statistics by visiting our COVID-19 Information page here.

Public health officials relay it is very important for the public to remain vigilant about following recommended safety measures and business/activity guidelines in order to keep themselves and those around them safe and healthy.
Those measures include:

• Wearing a Face Covering appropriately; Cover your mouth and nose any time you are in public or around those who aren’t in your household bubble.
• Washing Your Hands; Wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or wash thoroughly with hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
• Physical Distancing; Maintain at least 6 feet between you and others who aren’t part of your household bubble.
• Avoid Gatherings; The more people you meet with, the higher your risk of getting infected or of you infecting someone else.

If you are having COVID-like symptoms, self-isolate and contact your healthcare provider or the Adventist Health Triage Line at 209-536-5166 Mon-Fri, or 209-536-5000 after hours. If you need immediate medical attention, please call ahead and go to Rapid Care or the Emergency Department. You can also visit www.valleycovidhelp.com for more information.

The state testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds is now open 7 days a week. Appointments are strongly recommended. Please visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting to make an appointment.

The COVID-19 call center is open during normal office hours and people who have questions or concerns can call 209-533-7440 for information.

Free flu shots are available Tuesday at the Tuolumne Health Department at 20111 Cedar Rd in Sonora from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 2 and up. Call 209-533-7401