June 09th, 2020

COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY UPDATE was given during the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting held by teleconference on Tuesday, June 2nd. Public Health and Social Services Director Vickie Clark acknowledged sincere appreciation for everyone, knowing it was universally impacting everyone on some level deeply, and believed they were all doing the best job they could. She stated in week one of stage 2 Sierra County received its first positive case. Then the Governor moved the opening of hair salons and restaurants to stage 2 for the counties that could attest to it. Clark said the public felt this meant we were moving to stage 3. She stated they responded and made adjustments quickly and last week opened 39 new businesses. Clark said to further confuse the public, a bunch of counties around us opened into Stage 3 out of compliance. Last Friday the Governor said counties can move into Stage 3 at county discretion. Clark said in response to the Governor’s confusing information she was on the phone with the state department until Friday evening and a letter came out of it that was sent to Assemblyman Dahle and the state health officer asking for some clarification. A response from the state health officer was given to clarify. A variance county can open a sector after the state has issued guidance on how the sector can open and the local health officer has given approval. If that sector has not yet received guidance for that sector from the state, then that sector cannot yet open. Supervisor Sharon Dryden said although it sounds like some leniency we really don’t have it. Clark said the county’s attestation had to address a lot of different things, including that they had capacity to do a proper amount of testing and had proper staffing levels, including partnerships with surrounding hospitals. They had to show how they would handle containment, and could handle a surge of 35%. Clark stated they also needed to show what our triggers would be for pulling back, adding if we fall below what they attested to, we would have to pull back in reopening. Supervisor Peter Huebner asked what does our own population have to do with opening. Clark stated they have to protect our fragile population, adding it wouldn’t be prudent to ask people to come to our county if we don’t have the means to keep it under control. Supervisor Lee Adams stated we can make restrictions heavier in the state order but cannot make them less restrictive. Clark said as soon as they get new industry guidance, they would be able to move forward very quickly since they have all the business plans and felt the state department was working hard on those guidelines.
Clark reported COVID-19 testing was to begin this day in Loyalton and had 28 people registered so far with capabilities of doing onsite registration if needed. She said medical personnel from Oakland was stranded due to riots, so they had to secure their own health professionals to help with the testing, and had to go through special training that morning, adding tests are now 97% accurate for positive. Clark stated they would be announcing they have one positive case and one recovered case and those that were quarantined will be lifted on June 5th.
Planning Director Tim Beals spoke as part of the County Office of Emergency Services stating all barricades have been lifted and removed. He added that some advisory signs will be going up, but park closures will be removed. The social distancing signs were discussed. Supervisor Sharon Dryden didn't feel they were effective at all and have been getting vandalized and restaurant owners are stating the signs don’t give off a warm welcome. Clark stated they are moving out of a fear-based approach and if the public is wanting them removed, she was ok with them coming down. Beals will start removing them.