No new coronavirus cases

Sheriff urges residents to stay at home

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases remained at 37 in the Yuba-sutter region on Saturday, split between 22 cases in Sutter County and 15 cases in Yuba County. Three local residents have died because of coronavirus, and two people are currently hospitalized.

As the state enters the fourth week of the shelter-in-place order, local officials are addressing the public’s

continued need to comply, despite feelings of restlessness.

Yuba County SheriffCoroner Wendell Anderson wrote a message which was posted on the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page Friday, aiming to level with residents who are struggling to balance personal freedoms with government compliance.

“I have voiced my opinion and opposition of a ban on fishing, hunting and outdoor activities and understand that we all need a way to get away and distract us from our current situation,” Anderson said in the letter. “Despite our continued efforts to educate people in our county, we still have a high number of people that are completely disregarding the order and going about their routines as usual.”

Anderson said he initially thought the coronavirus was being overexaggerated, but said his duties as county coroner made him aware of statistics and models which convinced him that being over-prepared is necessary to mitigate as much loss of life as possible.

“Despite the infringements that many feel are being placed upon our community, it is my duty as the chief law enforcement official of the county to do whatever I can to prevent even one unnecessary death of one of our citizens,” Anderson said.

Yuba County Public Information Officer Russ Brown echoed Anderson’s sentiments, noting that the goal is to work together to prevent a spike in the number of cases in the coming weeks.

“People look at the numbers and they’re not massive but then again, we still see two, three, four five weeks of this until we see what’s next,” Brown said. “The question is, will we see a spike or not.”

Brown also said the Yuba-sutter public health officials recommendation to wear facial coverings is not an order, but highly recommended when people leave their homes for essential activities. Facial coverings are mandatory for entry into county buildings and will be worn by all essential county personnel, Brown said.

Brown said Ampla Health will not be conducting testing for COVID-19 today because of the Easter holiday.

For more information, visit www.bepreparedyuba.org or www. bepreparedsutter.org.