Plumas County COVID-19 Purple Tier Release
As you may be aware, California's Public Health Officer, Dr. Erica S. Pan, issued a Limited Stay at Home Order on November 19, 2020 which took effect at 10:00 PM on Saturday, November 21, 2020 and will remain in effect until 5:00 AM on December 21, 2020. In general terms, the order provides that ‘non-essential’ work, movement and gatherings are prohibited between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM in counties within the purple tier.

There has been considerable speculation and rumoring regarding the restrictions imposed by the order, including the extent to which the Sheriff’s Office will enforce this order.
As the Sheriff of Plumas County, I want to assure you that the basic laws which protect our freedoms are inviolable and this Office will not be formally involved in this order’s enforcement. Simply put, deputies will not be checking on homes and stopping vehicles to ensure compliance with this order.
I continue to ask that the members of our community take personal responsibility for their health and well-being and do all they can to help protect the same of other members of our community. I cannot overstate the importance of voluntary compliance with common-sense measures, such as social distancing, the use of face-coverings where appropriate, proper hygiene, staying at home when sick and other related health recommendations.
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Shovel buzzards are a creation of Raymond Giminez of Loyalton. Jean Myles of Reno was gifted one of the unique characters and has made it a bird feeder to attract feathered friends.

11/27/20: Six positive COVID-19 test results for one resident from the Southern Region (American Valley),  one from Northern Region (Indian Valley) and  four residents from Eastern Region (Portola/ Graeagle) for a total of 211. ​

As of November 25, 2020, Sierra County Public Health has received notification of two new positive COVID-19 cases in Sierra County. Due to a delay in receiving confirmation of positive cases, one case has completed isolation and is recovered. Investigation is ongoing with the second case.

Based on guidance from the CDC, close contacts will be notified by Sierra County Public Health if one of the following criteria are identified.

•   You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24 hour period. This definition applies whether masks were worn or not.
  
•   A person with COVID-19 sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
  
•   You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
  
•   You had direct physical contact with someone who has COVID-19 (hugged or kissed)
  
•   You shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who has COVID-19
  As you are aware, cases of COVID-19 continue to increase both locally and in neighboring counties and cities where many of our residents work and shop. Sierra County remains in the orange tier however, this is not a time to let down our guard. With the holiday season upon us, every person has a role to play in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
  

•   If you are around others who are not from your household, wear a face covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  
•   Avoid gatherings. You can enjoy your holidays and activities safely, without gathering.
  
•   Wear a face covering at all times when in businesses, at school, or unable to maintain 6 feet distance.
  
•   Wash your hands with soap and water often, especially after you have been in a public place.
  
•   If you feel sick, stay home, except to receive medical care.
  
•   If you think or know that you may have been exposed, stay home.
  For more information, please visit http://sierracounty.ca.gov/582/Coronavirus-COVID-19 or email COVID19@sierracounty.ca.gov
  Celia Sutton-Pado, MD Public Health Officer Sierra County
  

P.O. Box 7, Loyalton, CA 96118  (530) 993-6700  www.sierracounty.ca.gov 

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by Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]

Don’t let the COVID crisis put a damper on your Thanksgiving Day. Several years ago the founder of the Association of Mature American Citizens, the late Dan Weber, my dad, issued a Thanksgiving Day message at a another particularly trying time in our nation’s history. The threats we faced then were disruptive but definitely less threatening than the pandemic that has us safe-distancing, self-isolating and watching too many of our fellow citizens fall ill and perish. 

Nonetheless the message my father had then is appropriate this year. As he put it: “Pessimists might suggest that we have a lot to be fearful of these days and not a lot to be thankful for. They’ll say that the threats of terror attacks have cast a dark shadow over the country. And they’ll argue that the country is divided politically and that unrest is widespread. But the truth is that every day is Thanksgiving Day. Challenges abound, they always have. But we have much more for which to be grateful than we have to be afraid of. As Psychologist Robert L. Leahy put it: ‘giving thanks may be the best gift that you can give to others—and to yourself. And, like the best things in life, it’s free’.”

Top of the list of optimistic news for which we can be grateful is the promising progress being made on the development of a COVID killer vaccine. At least seven trials of vaccines are underway by respected pharmaceutical firms. They are working feverishly to make an effective serum available for distribution as soon as possible. In fact, bearing in mind that annual routine flu shots are 40 to 60 percent effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control, three of the COVID trials are reported to have shown impressive efficacy results in the 92 to 95 percent range. 

Meanwhile, Just days ago Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced that they are petitioning the FDA for approval for “emergency usage” of their vaccines.  And several other drug companies whose trials have shown their COVID shots are highly effective are expected to file their own requests for early usage.

If these developments don’t make you grateful, there are plenty of other reasons to be thankful. Keep in mind the armies of caregivers and first responders who risk their lives day after day to help the victims of the coronavirus.

And then there are our friends and neighbors who aren’t afraid to offer help when needed, like Lauren Laborde who lost her job due to the pandemic. Instead of feeling sorry for herself she decided to do chores, including lawn work, for locked down senior citizens and veterans in her community in Houston, TX. She’s not alone. Across the country there are thousands of citizen volunteers who go out of their way to help friends, families and strangers during these trying times.

My hope is that this message gives you a reason to have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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The 2.3 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] www.amac.us is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. AMAC Action is a non-profit, non-partisan organization representing the membership in our nation’s capital and in local Congressional Districts throughout the country. And the AMAC Foundation (www.AmacFoundation.org) is the Association’s non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting and educating America’s Seniors. Together, we act and speak on the Association members’ behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at www.amac.us/join-amac.

In my district, Gavin Newsom's curfew is a dead letter. All three Sheriffs are not enforcing it, trusting people to make their own decisions. The same is true of many Sheriffs across California.


Collective action at the local level can be a powerful counterweight against Newsom’s one-man rule. That’s why I’ve written the Healthy Communities Resolution, which is now being considered by the Board of Supervisors in 15 counties.


The Resolution comes out of the Conference of North State Representatives we convened in Red Bluff. I worked with James Gallagher and other legislators to crystallize the points of agreement from the Conference into a Resolution for each county’s Board of Supervisors to consider and adapt as they see fit. Here are a few of the introductory clauses:

• WHEREAS, California has struggled as much as any state during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the third highest unemployment rate in the country, the largest backlog of unpaid jobless claims, and the fifth worst excess death rate west of the Mississippi; and

 

• WHEREAS, California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” provides a one-size-fits-all approach to reopening communities that fails to allow the flexibility to respond in a data-driven way to what is occurring in our county; and

 

• WHEREAS, Our county has seen increases in drug abuse, delayed medical care, depression among our youth, and the overall need for mental health services

The Resolution concludes that “these facts demonstrate a need for collective and unified action from our county and surrounding communities,” including:

• That our county is best served by an ability to respond locally to the COVID-19 virus in accordance with our local data and circumstances

• That school districts in our jurisdiction are urged to safely open all schools as soon as possible

While we’ve sent the Healthy Communities Resolution to the 15 Northern California counties at the Conference, any county can pass it. So you can get in touch with your Board of Supervisors to have it considered no matter where you live. A copy of the sample Resolution along with our letter to county leaders is here.


For all of California government’s shortcomings, it nevertheless contains a rich institutional tapestry interwoven with 170 years of history. These institutions provide distinct reserves of power, sites for organizing, and vehicles for opposition.


Gavin Newsom can only turn California into a full-fledged autocracy if we let him. So let’s not let him.


Support My Efforts to End Newsom’s One-Man Rule


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Kevin Kiley,
California Legislator

Paid for by Kevin Kiley for Assembly, FPPC ID #1414222

Two New Cases of COVID-19, One Hospitalized in Sierra County
As of November 23, 2020, Sierra County Public Health has confirmed two new positive COVID-19 cases in Sierra County and is reporting its first hospitalization due to COVID-19. Cases are isolating and outreach to close contacts is ongoing; all close contacts identified will be contacted by a member of Public Health. Based on guidance from the CDC, you will be considered a close contact if you fall into one of these categories:

•   You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24 hour period. This definition applies whether masks were worn or not.
  
•   A person with COVID-19 sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
  
•   You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
  
•   You had direct physical contact with someone who has COVID-19 (hugged or kissed)
  
•   You shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who has COVID-19
  If you believe you fit into at least one of the categories above, please stay home and monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days since last contact. Consider being tested if symptoms develop. Options for testing are listed on the Sierra County Website, or call your health care provider.
  As you are aware, cases of COVID-19 continue to increase both locally and in neighboring counties and cities where many of our residents work and shop. This is not a time to let down our guard. With the holiday season upon us, every person has a role to play in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
  
  •   If you are around others who are not from your household, wear a face covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
    
  •   Avoid gatherings. You can enjoy your holidays and activities safely, without gathering.
    
  •   Wear a face covering at all times when in businesses, at school, or unable to maintain 6 feet
    distance.
    
  •   Wash your hands with soap and water often, especially after you have been in a public place.
    
  •   If you feel sick, stay home, except to receive medical care.
    
  •   If you think or know that you may have been exposed, stay home.
    For more information, please visit http://sierracounty.ca.gov/582/Coronavirus-COVID-19 or email
    COVID19@sierracounty.ca.gov
    

Celia Sutton-Pado, MD Public Health Officer Sierra County 

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