Media Statement: County of Santa Clara Public Health Department Reports Two New Cases of COVID-19
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department confirms two new cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. This brings the total number of cases to nine.
- The eighth case is an adult male household contact of a confirmed case in another county. He is under home isolation.
- The ninth case is an adult male household contact of a previously confirmed case in Santa Clara County. He is also under home isolation.
Due to medical privacy requirements and to protect their identity, further information about these cases will not be released.
An increase in cases is not unexpected. The Public Health Department will continue to identify anyone who has come into contact with these cases. The department will also be conducting community surveillance to determine the extent of possible disease spread in our community.
Individuals and organizations need to take action to help slow down the spread of the disease. For individuals, the recommendations are simple, but very important:
- Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently, especially after you touch common surfaces, such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, handrails, light switches, countertops, and tables. It is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Always cover your cough and stay home when you are sick.
- Stay away from people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick.
- Work on not touching your face because one way viruses spread is when you touch your own mouth, nose or eyes. If you do need to touch your own mouth, nose or eyes, wash your hands before you do so.
- Start thinking about family preparedness, how to take care of sick family members while not getting infected. Think about a room to isolate a sick person.
There are practical measures that can help limit spread by reducing exposure in community settings:
- Schools: should plan for absenteeism and explore options for learning at home and enhance cleaning of surfaces.
- Businesses: whenever possible, can replace in-person meetings with video or telephone conferences and increase teleworking options, as well as modify absenteeism policies and enhance cleaning of surfaces.
No media availability. Follow our Twitter for updates: @HealthySCC