Update: 1 Covid-19 Death, 11 New Cases In Calaveras, 15 Cases In Tuolumne

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Calaveras County Public Health reports the death of a man in his 80s. There are 11 new Covid cases, active cases increased five to 26 with five hospitalized. The total number of confirmed cases is 4,512. Five of the new cases are age 17 or younger and none are age 65 and older, in total 831 under age 17 and 759 over 65 have been identified with covid. There are five more recovered cases for a total of 4,394 cases recovered and 54.99% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in the county. There are 92 Covid deaths in Calaveras since the pandemic began. There were 8 Covid deaths in October, 6 in November and 3 this month for a total of 18 Covid deaths since October in Calaveras.

Tuolumne County Public Health reports 15 new Covid cases since yesterday, 12 are unvaccinated. Tuolumne County’s active cases remain at 70 including three unvaccinated people who are hospitalized. Today’s newly reported cases include five cases age 17 or younger and four cases age 60 or older. New Covid cases by gender and age: one girl and two boys age 0 to 11, two boys age 12 to 17, two women age 18 to 29, one woman and two men in their 30s, one woman in her 40s, one woman in her 60s, one woman and one man their 70s and one man in his 80s.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County increased to 19.9 from 19.4 per 100,000 population. A total of 15 individuals were released from isolation, in all 6,204 have been released from isolation. There have been 6,422 community cases and 148 deaths. There were 18 Covid deaths in October, 20 in November and 7 this month for a total of 45 Covid deaths since October in Tuolumne.

A total of 58% of the population eligible to get vaccinated has been vaccinated.  There have been 1,621 inmate cases, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports no active Covid case at the Sierra Conservation Center. The SCC manages 3,271 inmates including all the southern fire conservation camps.

Tuolumne also shared information about ways to manage needle fears and phobia, “Many people do not like needles as part of medical procedures when they receive care. But for some, the fear of needles is so great that it might prevent them from getting life-saving medical care, like vaccinations. This fear often affects children but can affect adults, too.” Estimates show that as many as 2 in 3 children and 1 in 4 adults have strong fears around needles. For ways to manage this fear and help others with it, view the CDC’s information guide here.

California Public Health As detailed here the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is requiring universal masking for all public indoor settings. In all indoor public settings masks are to be worn irrespective of vaccine status through January 15, 2022. The CDPH stated the move was in response to increasing case rates and hospitalizations to slow the spread of both Delta, the highly transmissible Omicron variant, to increase protection for individuals, families, and communities during the holidays. Additionally, CDPH updated requirements for attending mega-events, and issued a new travel advisory. Mariposa Public Health shares  the CDC added multiple studies to their Science Brief on Community Use of Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 as detailed here.

COVID-19 Testing Public health recommends scheduling an appointment to get tested 5 days after possible exposure and if you are having any symptoms, get tested right away. The LHI testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds will be open next Friday, Dec. 24^th from 7 AM to 1 PM and will be closed Saturday, Dec. 25^th for the Christmas holiday.

The Tuolumne County State testing site is generally open 7 days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.  Appointments can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. Testing is at pharmacies, at Rapid Care and the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider. The Mariposa LHI/OptumServe testing site is at the YARTS Park and Ride beside Rite Aid and is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 7:00 am to 12:00 pm, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, and 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

COVID-19 Vaccine appointments and booster vaccine shots and vaccine appointments for children ages 5 to 11 can be made through myturn.ca.gov, by calling 833-422-4255, or the pediatric vaccine may also be available through some pharmacies and healthcare providers more details are here. CDPH notes unvaccinated people were 7.1 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from November 21, 2021 to November 27, 2021) Unvaccinated people were 12.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from November 14, 2021 to November 20, 2021). Unvaccinated people were 13.0 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from November 7, 2021 to November 13, 2021).

Tips To Deal With Stress Mariposa Public Health shares “We spend so much time taking care of others, whether at work, at school, or at home, that we can sometimes forget to care for ourselves. Building self-care practices into your regular routines can help you minimize stress and maximize peace and joy.” They detail, understanding how stress affects you, it could be mental or physical, but pay attention to signs like headaches, low energy, insomnia, and more. Protect your physical health: exercise, eat well, get enough sleep, avoid alcohol and drugs, practice relaxation exercises or meditate. Also make connections, spend time with and reach out to loved ones, recharge, take time for yourself and do things you love. They recommend, avoiding guilt. Take stock of your feelings, but try not to feel bad about feeling them, notice the positive, pause to appreciate positive moments in your day or practice weekly gratitude writings, gather strength from others, remember, you are not alone. Learn more about self-care strategies by visiting namica.org