CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Santa Clara County reached 20 on Thursday, public health officials called for new measures to prevent the virus from circulating in the community, including cancelling large gatherings like sports games and conventions, and for businesses to suspend non-essential travel.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, county officials confirmed six new cases of novel coronavirus, known officially as COVID-19, and said, given the number of cases where the transmission of the disease is unknown, people need to act to slow the spread of the virus throughout the community.
“Our cases to date indicate to us that the risk of exposure to the virus in our community is increasing,” said county health officer Dr. Sara Cody, adding that the number of cases is expected to increase.
The guidelines include cancelling events like concerts, sports games, conferences and other large gatherings to minimize close, person-to-person contact, said James Williams, county counsel and director of the county’s Emergency Operations Center.
Asked to clarify whether the request applies to specific events like San Jose Sharks hockey games, Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center Director James Williams said it would apply to the NHL team.
“This would include Sharks games, yes,” Williams said. “It’s not just a question of Sharks games. There are many organizations that host large gatherings. … We have an obligation to make this apply to everyone.”
“The bottom line here is people aren’t in spaces where they’re among many, many other people without being able to keep a distance from others.”
He clarified, however, that it doesn’t apply to Mineta San Jose International Airport.
“We’re not treating San Jose airport as a large gathering place,” Williams said.
Employers are also being asked to suspend non-essential employee travel, minimize employees working within arm’s length of one another, and allow employees to work from home and maximize sick leave benefits.
Cody noted that most of the people who have caught the illness do not become seriously ill. But risk generally increases with age, starting from age 50 and escalating for older adults.
Anyone with underlying health conditions or severely weakened immune systems also at greater risk. Those individuals should avoid large gatherings, Cody said.
The recommendations also say people should avoid visiting hospitals, long term care facilities or nursing homes as much as possible, or limit time at such facilities and stand at least six feet away from patients and employees.
The county is not, however, recommending the closure of schools, noting that “very few children” are affected by the virus.
“If a staff member is confirmed to have COVID-19, we will consider the event based on the specific facts and circumstances to determine whether that school should close,” said Cody. “We really want children to go along with their lives..the school closure issue is a very large one, with the potential to have tremendous impact, particularly for working parents.”
On Thursday, a private preschool in San Jose closed for the rest of the week after a teacher tested positive for coronavirus, and the Discovery Museum is also closed after an employee was exposed to a confirmed coronavirus patient.
Administrators at Action Day Primary Plus announced Thursday that the preschool’s Moorpark location will close for the rest of the week for a “deep cleaning,” after a teacher at the Moorpark school tested positive for coronavirus.
The teacher has not returned to work since Feb. 26 and is receiving medical care, administrators said. Its nine other schools remain unaffected.
The Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose is also closed for the rest of the week, after an employee was exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus, according to Cecilia Clark, interim director of marketing for the museum.
The six additional cases confirmed Thursday include four people who are isolated at home and two people who are hospitalized, according to county officials. Some of those cases include people who had contact with known coronavirus cases, while the transmission of the virus is unknown in others.
Of the 20 total cases, 4 are travel-related, 9 where people had contact with other known cases, and 7 cases where the patient had no known travel history or close contact with a patient.
Read the county’s full list of recommendations on the county website.
