Media Statement: Three New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Santa Clara County
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department confirms three new cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. This brings the total number of cases to seven.
- The fifth case is an adult woman with chronic health conditions who is hospitalized. The investigation of this case has just begun and more information will be shared as it becomes available.
- The sixth and seventh cases are a husband and wife. Both are hospitalized, and the husband has chronic health conditions. The couple has recently traveled to Egypt.
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.
- Today, start working 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.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Public Health Department and other partners to protect and inform the public. Information will be updated as soon as possible on our website: http://sccphd.org/coronavirus
No media availability this weekend. Follow our Twitter for updates: @HealthySCC