Corona Virus and Santa Clara County

Dear Community,

Santa Clara County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Sarah Cody, announced on Friday, February 28, that a third case of the COVID-19 has been confirmed in the County, and most significantly, that it is not related to the other two cases reported  earlier.

This means that the third case, an older adult woman, had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual. This case is important because it signals that now is the time to change course and prepare for the possibility of widespread community transmission

Contact me:

Supervisor Dave Cortese
70 W. Hedding St., 10th floor
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 299-5030
dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org
www.supervisorcortese.org

The individual in the third case is a woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized for a respiratory illness. The County Public Health Laboratory performed tests on Thursday, confirming the virus, and the department has been working to identify any contacts she may have had with others.

The County will continue to use the methods it has taken so far when a case is confirmed -- isolation, quarantine, contract tracing and travel restrictions. These are known to help slow the spread of the disease.  Also, the County Health Laboratory can now run tests for the virus.

There are things we as individuals can do, as well:

• Keep your hands clean, always cover your cough and stay home when you are sick.
• Start working on not touching your face because viruses spread when you touch your own mouth, nose or eyes.
• Since we know the disease is here, stay away from people who are sick.
• Start thinking about family preparedness, for example, a room to isolate a sick person.

In the community settings:

• Schools should plan for absenteeism and explore options for tele-learning. Also, keep surfaces clean.
• Businesses, whenever possible, should replace in-person meetings with video or telephone conferences, increase teleworking options and permit workers to stay home if they are sick.

The Public Health Department is working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners to keep informed as the new coronavirus situation changes.  The Department has also dedicated a Public Health web page to keep us informed with daily updates, along with providing a FAQ in four languages. 

If you have questions, please call the Public Health Department at 408-885-4214 or my office at 408-299-5030. You can email me at dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org.

Sincerely,

Dave Cortese
County Supervisor, Third District