COVID-19 tracker: High school sports get go-ahead,

New guidelines allow high school football, other sports to resume Friday

New guidelines released by the California Department of Public Health will allow certain youth and adult recreational sports, including football, to resume play this Friday.

The Tuolumne County Public Health Department shared the new guidelines in a daily COVID-19 update last Friday that also reported four new coronavirus cases, one of which is an inmate at Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown.

Outdoor high-contact sports such as football, basketball, rugby, water polo and soccer can resume on Feb. 26 even in purple-tier counties, such as Tuolumne and Calaveras, under special conditions outlined by the guidelines.

The department said it was reviewing the exhaustive list of guidelines and consulting with the state to determine how they will be implemented locally.

New community cases reported on Friday were identified as a man in his 40s; a woman in her 50s; and a man in his 60s.

The most recent coronavirus-related death announced in the county was a man in his 80s whose passing was counted Thursday. The department said the man was previously hospitalized. No other information about the man’s death was released. His death was the county’s 56th coronavirus-related fatality.

As of Friday, the county had tallied 3,870 total coronavirus cases since early last year when the pandemic began, with 2,488 community cases and 1,382 inmate cases. Inmate cases accounted for 35.7% of the county’s cases. No inmates at the SCC prison have died from COVID-19, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

There were 32 active cases and two Covid-positive individuals were hospitalized in the county as of Friday.

The county’s daily case rate of 13.1 per 100,000 people and testing positive rate of 4% were down slightly from the previous week. The county still remained in the state’s purple tier for widespread risk of coronavirus infection.

Statistics

Tuolumne County (as of Feb. 19)

Total cases: 3,870 (2,488 community; 1,382 inmates) Deaths: 56

Recovered: 2,400

Active cases: 32

Active hospitalized: 2

Tests conducted: 69,967 (51,912 community; 18,055 inmates) Vaccinations given (as of Feb. 21): 13,094

Calaveras County (as of Feb. 19) Total cases: 1,898

Deaths: 25

Recovered: 1,834

Active cases: 39

Active hospitalized: 2

Tests conducted: 22,745 Vaccinations given (as of Feb. 21): 9,215

California (as of Feb. 22): 3,446,611 total cases; 49,338 deaths; 47,320,802 tests conducted; 7,437,925 vaccines given.

United States (as of Feb. 22): 28,163,794 total cases; 499,779 deaths.

World (as of Feb. 22): 111,627,133 total cases; 2,471,338 deaths.

Sources: Tuolumne County Public Health Department, Calaveras County Public Health Division, California Department of Public Health, John Hopkins University.

Testing

When you should get tested: Five days after travel or close contact with others outside of your household; as soon as possible if experiencing symptoms; and/or every 14 to 28 days if regularly working with the public.

Testing is available from:

• Local health care providers;

• Adventist Health Sonora, call first: (209) 536-5166;

• Optum Serv state testing sites: Mother Lode Fairgrounds at

220 Southgate Drive, Sonora, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week; Groveland Community Hall, 18720 Main St., Groveland, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays; and Tuolumne Memorial Hall, 18375 Fir Ave., Tuolumne, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

Appointments to state testing sites are recommended and can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling (888) 634-1123.

Vaccinations

• The Tuolumne County Public Health Department continues to distribute COVID-19 vaccine doses to people in Phase 1A and Phase 1Btier 1 of a state vaccine distribution plan, for individuals 70 and older as well as education workers, childcare workers, and emergency services workers. Visit www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/1317/covid-vaccine online for more information.

• CVS stores in Sonora and Angels Camp are offering COVID-19 vaccinations for people 65 and older, sign up here: https://www.cvs.com/ immunizations/covid-19-vaccine

• Adventist Health Sonora has been hosting weekend vaccination clinics at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds for people 65 and older. Find out more information by going to www.adventisthealthsonora.org/covidvaccine or call (209) 536-5165.

• To find out if you’re eligible and to register for upcoming state-run vaccination clinics, visit: https://myturn.ca.gov/