California Orders Closure of Indoor Operations of Additional Sectors
Responding to significant increases in positive test results, hospitalizations and ICU admissions, Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced further mandates to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Details can be found on the State’s COVID-19 website.
The State has immediately expanded closures previously only required for counties on the state’s monitoring list to the entire state. These include indoor operations for dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, museums and cardrooms. Breweries, bars and pubs are required to close both indoor and outdoor operations entirely in every county.
In addition, within the 31 counties on the state’s monitoring list – which include San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties and represent approximately 80% of the state’s population – the State requires the closure of indoor operations in sectors that tend to promote the mixing of populations which make adherence to social distancing and wearing face masks difficult. Businesses in these sectors that are unable to operate outdoors must close immediately under the State’s order. They include:
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Place of worship
- Offices for non-critical sectors
- Personal care services (e.g., nail salons, massage and tattoo facilities)
- Hair salons and barber shops
- Indoor malls
Gov. Newsom noted that while the increase in testing has led to growth in positive cases, the positivity rate has recently trended down. However, new positive cases are averaging 8,211 a day. Moreover, hospitalizations have increased 28% over the past 14 days and ICU admissions have jumped 39% over the same period. Overall, the state has had more than 320,000 COVID-19 cases and 7,000 deaths.
“Until we have a vaccine or effective therapy, we have no choice but to continue taking steps to mitigate the spread of the virus,” said Newsom. “Californians must adapt to new behaviors if we are to slow the spread.”
 Hospitalizations Rates Increase in the County, but Not Death Rates
Hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have been on the rise across San Bernardino County, but despite the increase, the County has seen death rates drop in area hospitals. According to local health professionals, this is partially due to local healthcare workers’ ability to manage and treat COVID-19.
In short, doctors have learned a lot since seeing and treating the first rush of COVID-19 patients in March, when most had never seen a person sick with the virus. Four months later, nearly every emergency room and intensive care physician in the country is intimately familiar with the disease. In that time, they’ve learned a lot about how best to treat patients.
For example, in the initial months of the pandemic, patients hospitalized with low oxygen saturation levels were put on ventilators, which is common with similar respiratory issues such as pneumonia. As health experts became more familiar with the virus, there’s been alternatives to help patients get enough oxygen to avoid needing a ventilator. In some cases, patients experiencing low oxygen saturation levels benefit from CPAP or BiPAP machines.
CPAP or BiPAP machines are non-invasive mechanical ventilation systems that can help a patient breathe by pushing air through a mask that is placed over the nose and mouth. Straps keep the mask in place. A machine pushes air and oxygen through the mask, and the pressure of the air helps the patient breathe.
A ventilator, on the other hand, uses a machine to push air and oxygen into the lungs through a tube in a patient’s windpipe. The tube goes through the mouth or nose, through the windpipe and into the lungs. The tube is about as big around as a dime.
“We find that we can bridge people on these high-flow oxygen devices for a period of several days and in many cases avoid intubation,” said Dr. Troy Pennington from Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
Also, doctors now are more vigilant to the threat from blood clots, which have appeared in many COVID-19 patients over the past months. Healthcare professionals can now act quickly to provide treatment as blood clots occur at a higher rate in COVID-19 patients.
And finally, doctors now have better medications for hospitalized patients. Since March, doctors have worked through different options like hydroxychloroquine, which turned out not to be effective. Now they are using remdesivir, an antiviral drug that is helping many COVID-19 patients recover more quickly, as well as the steroid dexamethasone, which helps improve the survival rate for patients on ventilators.
Temperature Checks Required Entering County Government Center
As part of its ongoing effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, San Bernardino County is now requiring all visitors to the County Government Center to have their temperature checked with a non-contact device before entering the building. Individuals who refuse to comply and those with a temperature above 100 degrees will be denied entrance.
“With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the County and elsewhere across the country, we are doing everything we can to protect both visitors to the Government Center as well as our own employees,” said San Bernardino County CEO Gary McBride. “This quick, simple procedure will help limit spread of the virus while posing only a very minor inconvenience to those visiting County offices.”
County employees working at the Government Center and other government facilities have been required to have their temperatures checked as part of the standard procedures implemented during this phase of the reopening schedule. No record of the individual’s temperature will be kept, stored or shared.
Five County Jail Inmates, Three Sheriff’s Employees Test Positive
Five County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. One inmate is at the West Valley Detention Center, two are at the Central Detention Center, one is at the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center, and one is at the High Desert Detention Center. One inmate was a new arrest and determined to be positive for the virus during their medical assessment when they arrived at the jail.
A total of 174 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. One hundred and twenty seven inmates have recovered from the illness.
All inmates continue to be provided with face coverings, cleaning supplies, soap, and are urged to wash their hands repeatedly throughout the day. They are routinely reminded of the need to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Three department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating at home. A total of 105 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Sixty-seven (67) employees have recovered from the virus; other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks.
 Mental Health Monday with Dr. Veronica Kelley
In today’s Mental Health Monday update, Dr. Veronica Kelley shares important advice on why we should set boundaries with social media during stressful times. She gives five tips to ensure that our digital habits don’t lend to unnecessary mental anxiety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVYmgDOUQHs&feature=youtu.be
Latest Stats
19,502 Confirmed Cases (up 2.4% from the previous day)
307 Deaths (up 0.3% from the previous day)
181,718 Tested (up 2.0% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile
tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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