Cases increase in Tuolumne County

The number of coronavirus cases in Tuolumne County rose to 73 over the weekend with no new cases reported on Monday, six on Sunday and three on Saturday.

Public Health reported 23 people were in isolation and no one was hospitalized.

Calaveras County did not issue a daily report, but did notify residents of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that all bars, indoor dining, wineries, movie theaters and card rooms close. This applies to all counties statewide.

Further closures were ordered in 30 California counties, but not in Tuolumne or Calaveras counties.

Dr. Dean Kelaita said in the news release that if the county reaches 100 new cases per 100,000 population for 14 days further restrictions would be imposed. Calaveras County has had 64 cases since March as of Friday.

Mariposa County’s Public Health Department, meanwhile, issued a comparison of COVID-19 and the flu.

Since Feb. 29, 133,291 U.S. residents have died of COVID-19. From Oct. 1, 2019 through April 4, 2020, between 24,000 and 62,000 people died of the flu. The COVID number is for five months, the flu 6 months.

The transparency of the Tuolumne County Public Health daily reports was called into question by a candidate for Board of Supervisors.

David Goldemberg, who is running for supervisor for the District 1 seat, said he was concerned the health department was not releasing information on where the people who test positive live.

“We need to know which businesses have staff who have tested positive and when. We need to know the location of the clusters of new cases. We need to know which towns in the county are seeing more cases,” he said in a post on his candidate website.

He described the Health Department’s announcements as being shrouded in a “cloud of secrecy.”

“As our positive COVID cases double and quadruple and we have community transmission of the virus, we can no longer look the other way,” he said.

He also thinks the reports should include information on neighboring counties, two of which — Stanislaus and San Joaquin — are mandated by the governor to close places such as fitness centers, places of worship and offices for non-essential services.

His opponent, incumbent Supervisor Sheriff Brennan said she understands the public wants as much information as possible but there are constraints on what information can be released.

“I want to start by commending our health department,” she said. “They are tiny but they are mighty.”

In response to Goldemberg’s comment she said, “I hope he’s out there figuring it out, how he can volunteer to be part of the solution.”

Public Health spokesperson Michelle Jachetta said the department releases all relevant details.

With regard to Goldemberg’s comments about releasing locations, Jachetta said, “As is standard practice for a county of our size with the number of cases we have, the health department does not release information that could compromise protected health information. As we begin to experience larger numbers of cases and “hot spots” may become evident, it may become useful to the public to know where those areas are.”

She said the cases are located all over the county and every place is experiencing community transmission.

“No matter the specific geographic location, everyone remains vulnerable to the disease and should take the recommended precautions to help protect themselves, their loved ones, and their community,” she said.

Brennan, too, emphasized the need for personal responsibility — wearing masks, staying six feet apart and vulnerable older people are offered county assistance so they can stay at home.

Brennan said she was especially scared when she heard someone who works at Avalon Care Center had tested positive, but so far no residents have.

“I saw folks rally around that care center,” she said.

She also said she has pressed officials in state government for more testing and rapid results.

She said the one bright spot she sees in each daily report is the low number of people who have been hospitalized.

“It can change tomorrow but it’s a piece that provides encouragement,” she said.

Brennan, who is the chair of the Board of Supervisors, said she has seen a lot of division in the community during an unprecedented time.

“People are concerned about businesses that might not make it, how to make their mortgage payment, public schools,” she said. “There’s an unlimited amount of triggers creating extreme anxiety in our public. People need to be kind in the private sector, kind in the public sector, kind to each other.”