30 New COVID-19 Cases And A Death In Tuolumne, 95.5% Of Regional ICU Beds Filled

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Sonora, CA – Tuolumne County Public Health has confirmed 30 new COVID-19 infections, 6 are inmate cases, 24 are community cases and there is a 17th confirmed death related to the virus. The deceased was a previously hospitalized COVID-positive woman in her 80’s who was a resident of a local care facility. Four previously isolating people are now hospitalized for a total of 8 COVID-19 positive individuals currently hospitalized.

Of the new cases, Tuolumne County Public Health says all the new cases appear to be isolating at home. The new community cases include 1 male and 2 female under 20 years old, 2 males and 1 female in their 20s, 1 male and 1 female in their 30s, 1 male and 2 female in their 40s, 1 female in her 50s, 2 males and 3 females in their 60s, 1 male and 5 female in their 70s, and 1 male in their 80’s. 43 individuals have been released from isolation.

Public Health was notified of an outbreak at the Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) this week. There were 102 cases between December 5 and December 9, another 16 yesterday and 6 more today, for a total of 140 among the 2,137 inmates. At the SCC a total of 98 staff members have tested positive, 84 have returned to work, 14 are active and there have been 20 new cases in the past 14 days. More details about how the SCC is handling the situation is in Wednesday’s story here. 

Tuolumne county has a total of 1,547 cases including 140 inmates with 273 active community cases and 1,117 recovered cases. Total known tests 18,549. Tuolumne is part of the San Joaquin Valley Region that as of Thursday has 4.5% of ICU beds available. That low bed percentage has triggered the Regional Stay at Home Order on December 6. 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