Mendocino County Achieves Required Testing Capacity Allowing Loosening of Shelter in Place Restrictions and More In Press Conference with Dr. Doohan and CEO Angelo

County Achieves Required Testing Capacity Leading to Loosening of Shelter in Place Restrictions and More in Mendocino Co. Press Conference with Dr. Doohan and CEO Angelo

On Friday May 15, 2020, Mendocino County Public Health Officer Dr. Noomi Doohan and Mendocino County CEO Carmel Angelo held a virtual press conference providing an update on the state of COVID-19 in Mendocino County. Redheaded Blackbelt and other local reporters asked questions about these and other concerns.

[Note: There is a lot of information in this press conference. We’ll highlight in blue any particularly important responses but there likely will be more of interest to you.]

Opening remarks from Dr. Noomi Doohan & CEO Carmel Angelo

Public Health Director Dr. Noomi Doohan

  • Last Friday, the Governor allowed the State of California to enter Phase 2 of reopening.
  • The 1st stage is when we were slowing the spread and flattening the curve, limited businesses in communities.
  • Stage 2 has led to confusion across the state.
  • The Governor states what is allowed and the health officer can be more restrictive than the governors protocols, not less.
  • These protocols are rapidly evolving and this week the governor allowed for additional reopening, I’m updating the  Mendocino County’s shelter in place order based on those additions.
  • For example, dog grooming and landscaping businesses have been added, we’ll update the shelter in place with that information 
  • Last Friday, the Governor lined out the attestation guidelines that would allow counties to move through Phase 2..
  • I want to make sure the attestation documents I submit will pass the states guidelines excellent rating, 
  • Mendocino County currently has 75% of the attestation process complete and will be able to finish mid-week next week going to later stage two next Friday.
  • There’s not going to be a significant change except in two areas: retail will allow limited in-store shopping and restaurants for limited restaurant dining. 
  • The attestation process also calls for each county’s COVID-19 Containment plan which includes tests, contact tracing, acute care surge, and community engagement.
  • Businesses that do open must have a five step process to indicate they can safely re-open including risk assessment and a site specific containment plan. West Company has been working with Mendocino County businesses to prepare for self-certification.
  • Regarding the number of cases in Mendocino County: the first five cases were spread out over time, smoothly. The next seven cases represented an outbreak in Covelo and all the evidence we have at this time indicates it has been contained. We are continuing to do surveillance testing in Covelo, which is free and anonymous. We take each person’s phone number so we can inform the person if they test positive. All of the surveillance testing has come up negative. 
  • The 13th case came out last week, a case of a close household member of an early case. That individual was asymptomatic and was tested during a Ukiah Valley surveillance test.
  • All cases were a result of someone traveling outside of the county or being exposed from someone in an immediate household.
  • All of these factors indicate there is no community spread.
  • The traveling Oregon nurse in Fort Bragg hospital that tested positive for COVID-19 is not counted in Mendocino County’s number. When an individual tests positive that is not from the area, that case is under the jurisdiction of the county and state where they originate. There is no evidence at this time that the nurse led to an outbreak. Anybody that was a patient of the hospital at that time can be tested.
  • California Department of Public Health and University of California, San Francisco is providing a 20 hour training for contact tracing and case investigation. Mendocino County personnel will take part in that training. 
  • Considering the county’s low number of cases and zero deaths, the new shelter in place order will allow for household units, stable groups of 12 adults and children, to mingle.
  • In our rural communities where we depend on each other so much, we can have two families coming close together, carpooling or building a fence. We can have more social connections and help each other more closely. 
  • We’re just developing this aspect today, please know that communication remains and absolute priority.

Around 19 minutes

CEO Carmel Angelo responds to a question at Friday's press conference [Screenshot from video posted on County of Mendocino's YouTube page]

CEO Carmel Angelo responds to a question at Friday’s press conference [Screenshot from video posted on County of Mendocino’s YouTube page]

CEO Carmel Angelo

  • While Sonoma county was a great partner in analyzing the Menodcino’s tests, they found themselves unable to do analysis for both Mendocino and themselves.
  • It became clear that Mendocino County was a testing desert.
  • After multiple meetings with McGuire and Wood, we did a call to action asking Mendocino Citizens to send an email to the state testing officials asking for support.
  • After the call to action, Mendocino County has secured a Optum-Serve testing site now, that will be located in the Ukiah fairgrounds where anyone in Mendocino can register and get the test.
  • The facility will take the testing specimens, send them to a lab, and the county will be notified of any positive results
  • With this Optum-Serve site, we now have our testing capability to go forward with opening the county.
  • We will know in a few days when the site will be opened and hopefully by the end of next week it will be open.
  • Rural residents of Mendocino County, you do not have to travel to Ukiah for testing. There will still be testing available at alternative site throughout the county.

Around 25 minutes 

KZYX’s Sarah Reith asks: What is the cost of the test for those that want to get tested?

  • Carmel Angelo says: The goal of this testing to attempt to test every California. If you have insurance, you must disclose it. Other than that, you can walk in and it’s free.

Around 26 minutes

KZYX’s Sarah Reith asks: The county spent $27,000 on translation services for the deaf and blind last year and I’m wondering if you can talk about other contracts for translation services in other languages?

  • Sarah Duckett says: We have tried to use interpreters for the deaf and we have been using closed captioning for all of our live feed. We are also working to increase our Spanish language services.

KZYX’s Follow-up: Any other language?

  • Sarah Duckett says: Not at this time.

Around 29 minutes

Mike Adair from Willits News makes note that all of his questions will be “theatrically related.” He asks: Can you clarify the standards regarding Children’s theatre?.

  • Dr. Doohan says: Children of our community are a top priority to play or go outside in this difficult time. One of the things that is coming out today is more language around children and what they’re allowed to do. We’re allowing childcare, stable groups of 12, the same group for 4 weeks at a time. That group of children do not need social distance, no mask, includes a teacher. So in terms of theatre, yes. You would be able to film that group of kids and livestream that but you wouldn’t be able to have an audience.

Around 32 minutes

Mike Adair from Willits News asks: For regular theatre shows staffed by teenagers and adults, if you’re doing the show without a live audience, do you need masking, facial coverings, will social distancing be required for those performers? 

  • Dr. Doohan says: Social distance and facial covering will be required unless you’re part of a family unit. If you come together for a live streaming event with up to 12 people, you need social distance to the point you’re not spreading it to other people. Singing is particularly problematic for transmission because we’ve seen COVID spread aggressively through singing. 

Around 35 minutes

Mike Adair from Willits News asks: Will those restrictions be relaxed at some point? Will they be part of phase 4?

  • Dr. Doohan says: The governor has indicated that performances and gatherings will be part of Stage 4, this won’t be even in the Fall. I think it’s very hard for all of us but this limitation on performances will be with us for some time.

Around 36 minutes

Mendocino Voice’s Adrian Baumann asks: I have questions about the Optum-Serve system? Where will those tests be happening? How many per day will be processed? Will people be able to take repeat tests?

  • Dr. Doohan says: The system requires a brick and mortar facility. It will allow us to collect samples and have them shipped off to Quest Laboratories in San Juan Capistrano in Southern California. It absolutely will be used to retest people. For example, frontline health care workers. We would like to be able to test them once per month for people with more exposure. We also want to make sure that general community members are tested and it wouldn’t do any good to retest every week. Our clinics will still be doing testing. The facility will not do all of Mendocino County’s test.

Around 39 minutes

Mendocino Voice’s Adrian Baumann follows up: Those are going to be the nasal pharyngeal test?

  • Dr. Doohan says: Yes. It’s done by a health care worker who applies the swab deep into a patient’s nose.

Around 40 minutes

Mendcino Voice’s Adrian Baumann asks: Will it be available on a first come first serve basis?

  • Dr. Doohan responds: There is a way to make appointments and that includes online. 
  • CEO Angelo says: We will be at Carl Purdy Hall at the fairgrounds. The testing will be by appointment and there will be an opportunity for walk-ins. There will be specific hours for first responders/essential workers and the rest of the day will be for members of the general public. I’m hoping by the end of next week to have this set up.

Around 42 minutes

Mendcino Voice’s Adrian Baumann asks: Could you address the rate of false negatives? 

  • Dr. Doohan says: That is referring to the swab tests. It depends on the machine being used and what lab the tests are processed in. This is in relation to the Abbot PCR test that is a rapid response rate with a 20-30% false negative rate. The Abbot machine is not ideal for people without symptoms because of that false negative rate. This is actually what happened in Covelo because he was asymptomatic.

Around 44 minutes

Mendcino Voice’s Adrian Baumann asks: I’d like to give you an opportunity to list the things that are still closed.

  • Dr. Doohan says:
    • Retail and restaurants are open to curb-side pickup only.
    • Schools have to have modified schooling, distance learning.
    • No gatherings of any size, therefore no theatres, sports, religious services, festivals, ceremonies.
    • Bars, wineries, night clubs.
    • No personal services like haircuts, salons, massages studios, gymnasiums. The governor refers to those high risk
    • Tourist lodging is closed till stage 3.

Around 47 minutes

RHBB’s Matt LaFever asks: Seeking clarification on the characterization that Round Valley’s outbreak could have gone “underground”. Could you explain what has led you to make that determination.

  • Dr. Doohan says: I regret using that word because it has a connotation that was not appropriate. I meant to say that through our case investigation and contact tracing that we learned about individuals that we think could have gotten sick. In attempts to reach out to those individuals who could have gotten sick, we were unable to reach them. Public health was reaching out in the general community of Covelo setting up our surveillance teams and what I came to believe was our presence in the town was leading some residents to feel their privacy was being violated. Based on this, we are working hard to communicate that we’re here for the public’s health, we will protect privacy, we will provide anonymous testing. The reason that I used this word that when we went up there last week for testing, very few people showed up. people coming forward so I was concerned that we were scaring people away we we were actually causing fear in the community or stigma. Stigma can happen when people feel that if they test positive they’ve done something wrong or they’re going to be shamed or harmed. We’re just trying to help to reach out to let people know that they we want to offer free and anonymous testing so that was the purpose of that comment

Around 51 minutes

RHBB’s Matt LaFever asks: Mendocino County updates COVID numbers 3 times/week. Why not everyday like surrounding counties?

  • Sarah Duckett says: Since we do not see a huge change in case numbers we regularly post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The infographics on the Public Health’s Facebook page typically changed reflecting the number of pending tests. I also like to add that we do also post outside of that schedule for significant changes. We do our best to notify the public as soon as possible when we do have a new case. Outside of the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule, we will do additional postings if anything significant happens.

Around 54 minutes 

RHBB’s Matt LaFever asks: How are the social distancing and facial covering guidelines applied and adapted to first responders such as law enforcement and firefighters?

  • Dr. Doohan says: There are two orders that are up online that are related to masking and facial covering: one is the facial covering for public order and the other is the masking for congregate setting medical settings so there’s one masking order and one facial covering order so in the masking order. The language regarding public safety and first responders and the guidelines for them to wear medical grade masks whereas the public facial coverings are homemade masks or cloth masks so there’s quite a lot of detail in that order for the medical masking and it doesn’t only include first responders public safety. It also includes skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, clinics, and medical environments. Because of how firefighters are housed, they can be in close proximity and they might not be able to have social distancing which is one of the reasons workers should be symptom checking before they come to work and they shouldn’t come to work if they’re sick or if they have elevated temperatures.

The last 12 minutes of the press conference was a Spanish question and answer session between Al Punto’s Jackeline Orozco and the county provided translator George Verástegui translates. The questions and answers were not provided in English so a summation cannot be provided.

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7 Comments
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Doggo
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Doggo
3 years ago

The significant change will be the rise in new infections.
Good luck
STAY HOME

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Doggo

Why?

DivideByZero
Guest
DivideByZero
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Exactly

CaliforniaCondor
Guest
CaliforniaCondor
3 years ago
Reply to  Doggo

In case you haven’t noticed, Mendocino hasn’t changed. Town is still buzzing with people and cars. All the restaurants are busy with take outs. Walmart, Home Depot, Costco, grocery stores are full. And yet there are less than 20 cases. Maybe you should stay at home, it’s safer for you there.

Fear Kills
Guest
Fear Kills
3 years ago

Don’t feel safe, stay home, my freedom doesn’t end where your fear begins.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

Is anybody else concerned about how quickly Gavin Newsom announced a push to re open schools as soon as July and about the same time pushed to make NOVEMBER general election mail in ballot only? Voting day presents much less social interaction than in class activities. Election rigging that should be investigated!

sparky
Guest
sparky
3 years ago

Covidiot Panicdemic