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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to the rising health concerns surrounding COVID-19, organizers of the fourth annual Lake County Agriculture and Natural Resource Day said they are canceling the event.
The popular event for local school children, held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, had been set for March 26.
The organizing committee made the decision to cancel this event after taking into consideration the concerns from multiple county and health entities.
“We apologize for the cancelation and are disappointed to have to make this decision but realize that the health and safety of Lake County residents and community members are the priority. Stay safe and we look forward to your participation in this event next year,” the committee said in a Tuesday statement.
This is the second report of a major event in Lake County being canceled or postponed due to concerns related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Earlier this week, the Lake County Silver Foundation announced that its April 4 Senior Summit is being postponed, as Lake County News has reported.
The popular event for local school children, held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, had been set for March 26.
The organizing committee made the decision to cancel this event after taking into consideration the concerns from multiple county and health entities.
“We apologize for the cancelation and are disappointed to have to make this decision but realize that the health and safety of Lake County residents and community members are the priority. Stay safe and we look forward to your participation in this event next year,” the committee said in a Tuesday statement.
This is the second report of a major event in Lake County being canceled or postponed due to concerns related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Earlier this week, the Lake County Silver Foundation announced that its April 4 Senior Summit is being postponed, as Lake County News has reported.
The California Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced the latest numbers for COVID-19 and also reported that it has created an online hub for information on how to protect against the illness.
As of Tuesday, California has 157 confirmed cases, which didn’t include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland.
CDPH also said it consolidated state guidance on how to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19 in a single location. This includes guidance for:
– Health care facilities, including long-term care facilities;
– Community care facilities, including assisted living facilities and child care;
– Schools and institutions of higher education;
– Event organizers;
– First responders, including paramedics and EMTs;
– Employers, health care workers and workers in general industry;
– Health care plans;
– Home cleaning with COVID-19 positive individuals;
– Guidance for using disinfectants at schools and child cares;
– Laboratories;
– Health care facilities from Cal/OSHA.
For more information on COVID-19 and California's response visit the CDPH website.
COVID-19 in California by the numbers on Tuesday, March 11
– 2: Deaths
– 157: Positive cases (this does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland)
Of all the confirmed positive cases:
– Age 0 to 17: 2 cases
– Age 18 to 64: 91 cases
– Age 65+: 60 cases
– Unknown: 4 cases
– 24: Cases of positive tests related to federal repatriation flights
– 133: Cases not related to repatriation flights, including 50 travel-related, 30 person-to-person, 29 community transmission and 24 under investigation.
– 10,300+: Number of people self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX.
– 49 – Number of local health jurisdictions involved in self-monitoring.
– 19: Labs with test kits, 18 of which are already testing.
As of Tuesday, California has 157 confirmed cases, which didn’t include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland.
CDPH also said it consolidated state guidance on how to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19 in a single location. This includes guidance for:
– Health care facilities, including long-term care facilities;
– Community care facilities, including assisted living facilities and child care;
– Schools and institutions of higher education;
– Event organizers;
– First responders, including paramedics and EMTs;
– Employers, health care workers and workers in general industry;
– Health care plans;
– Home cleaning with COVID-19 positive individuals;
– Guidance for using disinfectants at schools and child cares;
– Laboratories;
– Health care facilities from Cal/OSHA.
For more information on COVID-19 and California's response visit the CDPH website.
COVID-19 in California by the numbers on Tuesday, March 11
– 2: Deaths
– 157: Positive cases (this does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland)
Of all the confirmed positive cases:
– Age 0 to 17: 2 cases
– Age 18 to 64: 91 cases
– Age 65+: 60 cases
– Unknown: 4 cases
– 24: Cases of positive tests related to federal repatriation flights
– 133: Cases not related to repatriation flights, including 50 travel-related, 30 person-to-person, 29 community transmission and 24 under investigation.
– 10,300+: Number of people self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX.
– 49 – Number of local health jurisdictions involved in self-monitoring.
– 19: Labs with test kits, 18 of which are already testing.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors ratified a local health emergency declared by Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace in response to the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
As of Tuesday, Lake County remains at no laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, county officials reported.
The local health emergency has been executed in an effort to be proactive, allowing the county to expedite their planning and response to potential COVID-19 cases and make additional resources available to the county to limit and slow community spread of the disease.
Although the individual risk for contracting COVID-19 continues to remain low in Lake County, county officials said all community members should take the opportunity to plan for the possibility of local cases and the potential for community spread.
As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there are 647 total cases nationwide and 25 deaths.
Outbreaks continue to spread in Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia and the Western Pacific – and the global impacts are beginning to be felt.
Worldwide, cases on Tuesday had topped 118,000, with nearly 4,300 deaths.
Lake County Public Health is prepared to manage and investigate suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Public Health will continue to work closely with federal, state and local partners to provide the public with accurate information about actions to be taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to care for those who may become ill with this virus.
Steps to take to stop COVID-19’s spread
As with other respiratory infections, there are steps that everyone can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The best way to prevent the spread of illness, including seasonal flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illness, is to practice everyday illness prevention steps:
· Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
· If soap and water are not readily available, use alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, making sure to rub your hands together until the sanitizer is dry.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
· Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
· Staying home if you are sick, especially from work, school and public places.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Personal preparation measures include:
· Gradually stock up extra supplies of important items, such as soap, hand sanitizer, tissues, over the counter medications and prescription medications.
· Gradually stock up on non-perishable foods.
· Create a back-up plan for work, school and childcare in the event of closures.
· Talk to your workplace about getting ready. Plan for telework, if possible.
· Create a space in your home to care for sick family members.
· Replace handshakes with elbow-bumps – make a game of this with your kids.
Previously, all testing was being performed at the CDC laboratory in Atlanta.
Diagnostic testing for Coronavirus is becoming more available with state testing at nineteen (19) California Public Health Laboratories including in Sonoma County. Commercial labs like Quest are now offering these tests.
Unfortunately, the capacity continues to be limited, so during this transition period, only the highest risk patients are recommended to receive testing. Speak with your medical provider if you have symptoms.
What to do if you think you’re sick
If you develop a fever, cough and shortness of breath, and believe you could have COVID-19, notify your healthcare provider by phone. Call ahead so that you can be safely evaluated and prevent exposing others.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus COVID-19 by visiting the following websites:
CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov ;
CDPH Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx ;
Lake County Contact Lake County Public Health, http://health.co.lake.ca.us/ or call 707-263-1090.
As of Tuesday, Lake County remains at no laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, county officials reported.
The local health emergency has been executed in an effort to be proactive, allowing the county to expedite their planning and response to potential COVID-19 cases and make additional resources available to the county to limit and slow community spread of the disease.
Although the individual risk for contracting COVID-19 continues to remain low in Lake County, county officials said all community members should take the opportunity to plan for the possibility of local cases and the potential for community spread.
As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there are 647 total cases nationwide and 25 deaths.
Outbreaks continue to spread in Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia and the Western Pacific – and the global impacts are beginning to be felt.
Worldwide, cases on Tuesday had topped 118,000, with nearly 4,300 deaths.
Lake County Public Health is prepared to manage and investigate suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Public Health will continue to work closely with federal, state and local partners to provide the public with accurate information about actions to be taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to care for those who may become ill with this virus.
Steps to take to stop COVID-19’s spread
As with other respiratory infections, there are steps that everyone can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The best way to prevent the spread of illness, including seasonal flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illness, is to practice everyday illness prevention steps:
· Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
· If soap and water are not readily available, use alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, making sure to rub your hands together until the sanitizer is dry.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
· Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
· Staying home if you are sick, especially from work, school and public places.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Personal preparation measures include:
· Gradually stock up extra supplies of important items, such as soap, hand sanitizer, tissues, over the counter medications and prescription medications.
· Gradually stock up on non-perishable foods.
· Create a back-up plan for work, school and childcare in the event of closures.
· Talk to your workplace about getting ready. Plan for telework, if possible.
· Create a space in your home to care for sick family members.
· Replace handshakes with elbow-bumps – make a game of this with your kids.
Previously, all testing was being performed at the CDC laboratory in Atlanta.
Diagnostic testing for Coronavirus is becoming more available with state testing at nineteen (19) California Public Health Laboratories including in Sonoma County. Commercial labs like Quest are now offering these tests.
Unfortunately, the capacity continues to be limited, so during this transition period, only the highest risk patients are recommended to receive testing. Speak with your medical provider if you have symptoms.
What to do if you think you’re sick
If you develop a fever, cough and shortness of breath, and believe you could have COVID-19, notify your healthcare provider by phone. Call ahead so that you can be safely evaluated and prevent exposing others.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus COVID-19 by visiting the following websites:
CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov ;
CDPH Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx ;
Lake County Contact Lake County Public Health, http://health.co.lake.ca.us/ or call 707-263-1090.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – At its meeting on Thursday, the Clearlake City Council took the necessary action to accept a state grant to help the city prepare for public safety power shutoffs.
In the fall, Lake County felt the full effect of Pacific Gas and Electric’s shutoffs, meant to protect against wildland fire danger during the seasonal high winds and dry conditions.
The city of Clearlake submitted a Public Safety Power Shutoff Resiliency Allocation to Cities grant application to the California Office of Emergency Services and received $268,500, the full amount requested, according to City Manager Alan Flora.
The discussion about the grant at Thursday’s meeting begins at the 1:11:09 mark in the video above. The staff report is on page 65 of the report shown below.
The grants are meant for California incorporated cities to prepare for and respond to public safety power shutoff events, including purchasing electrical generation equipment, creating continuity plans and post-event reports, conducting risk assessments for critical infrastructure and public education materials, among other things, according to Cal OES documents.
Cal OES said up to $500,000 could be requested per applicant.
In the grant application, staff explained that the city of Clearlake had spent 185 hours without power in two separate public safety power shutoffs in October and November.
The city requested funds to purchase equipment, including additional gas-powered generators, $2,000; generator fuel, $8,000 to cover eight days at $1,000 per day; generator theft-prevention devices, $5,000; an additional fuel storage tank with a solar pump, $7,500; two green energy mobile messaging stations, $66,000; two light towers, $25,000; two mobile commercial generators with priority purchase toward hybrid fuel generators, $120,000; a three-year contract for redundant fiber-optic Internet connection to the community center, the only community resource center location in the city, with equipment, $25,000; and a redundant microwave link to the Lake County Fire Protection District, $10,000.
Flora went over the list, explaining that they were the items staff felt are important to expand the city’s resilience during power shutoff events.
He said the council needed to vote to amend the city budget in order to add the revenue into the appropriations, which would allow staff to move forward with procuring the equipment listed in the grant application.
Flora said city staff will actively work to acquire all of the equipment. He said there is a lot of demand for generators, so they want to get their spot in line as soon as possible.
During the discussion about communications connectivity, Flora mentioned the county-owned communications tower on Mount Konocti. He said he’s been in contact with Public Services Director Lars Ewing who is willing to work with the city to expand its reach.
“That’s what the county does for a number of facilities already,” said Flora, explaining that signal is bounced from Mount Konocti to the Lake County Courthouse and to other locations around Lake County.
Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten moved to approve the resolution to amend the budget, which the council approved 4-0. Councilwoman Joyce Overton was absent.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
030520 Clearlake City Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to grow worldwide, so far the illness hasn’t been found in Lake County, according to the Lake County Public Health officer.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19 – the illness caused by the novel coronavirus – as have some counties, including Lake’s neighbor, Mendocino.
Health officials reported that the number of confirmed cases worldwide is nearly 114,000. State health officials said Monday that California has 133 confirmed cases.
Dr. Gary Pace, Lake County’s Public Health officer, said the illness is like the common cold. The symptoms of most concern to health care providers are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Pace has been making appearances at meetings around the county to update the community.
Last week he participated in a Kelseyville town hall and also spoke to the city councils for Clearlake and Lakeport.
He’s due to give the Board of Supervisors an update on Tuesday morning.
What he told community members last week – that no local cases have been confirmed – held true on Monday, he said.
“All of the area health officers have agreed to not talk about specific numbers of people being tested at this stage, but I can say that we are monitoring some people that are considered at risk and no one has tested positive,” Pace told Lake County News, adding he will make an announcement if there is a positive case in Lake County.
Last week, state officials announced that expanded test capability had made 24 million more Californians eligible for free medically necessary COVID-19 testing.
The California Department of Public Health's state laboratory in Richmond and 18 other public health department laboratories now have tests for the virus that causes COVID-19. Seventeen of them are currently conducting tests, with the others coming online soon, officials said.
On the local level, Pace said there are two pathways for testing at this point.
They include the Sonoma County Public Health Lab, which is one of the 19 labs statewide that are testing under the expanded capability announced last week.
“Also, commercial testing just became available through Quest and Labcorp labs. They will pick up specimens at clinics and hospitals and send them to their regional labs,” Pace said.
“Both of these pathways have some limitation in terms of the capacity of the labs, but we will see how well they are able to manage demand,” he added.
Pointing to cases in other parts of the region, including Sonoma County, Pace said that it’s hard to know just how many people might be infected because, up to that point, testing had been done on a very limited basis.
Antiviral treatment in clinical study
In a March 6 video, Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health offered insight into the coronavirus and some preventative measures.
Blumberg said at this point since no vaccine has been developed, the treatment is supportive care, like intravenous fluids and supplemental oxygen and, in more severe cases, the use of a ventilator.
Blumberg said there are experimental treatments that are now being studied, such as an antiviral called Remdesivir that originally was developed for ebola. It’s had promising results when used in China and is now being used in some US cases.
The National Institutes of Health said a randomized, controlled clinical trial of Remdesivir in hospitalized adults diagnosed with COVID-19 is underway at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. That is the first clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19 in the United States.
Officials said the first trial participant is an American who was repatriated after being quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that docked in Yokohama, Japan and volunteered to participate in the study.
In his remarks to the city councils last week, Pace explained that an approved vaccine will likely require a year to a year and a half to develop.
Local health care providers preparing
In work and school situations, it’s recommended that sick people stay home. Pace said there are no indications that schools need to be closed, but he suggested canceling nonessential travel.
In some areas, large events are being canceled as a way of protecting people and stopping the virus’ spread, he said.
While Pace said he didn’t think that needed to happen in Lake County, with seniors being the most vulnerable to COVID-19, the Silver Foundation announced that its fourth annual Senior Summit, which had been scheduled for April 4, is being postponed due to concerns about the virus, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace said he’s very concerned about the senior population, and he’s reaching out to senior centers and nursing homes to offer them information on preparation.
Describing the COVID-19 virus to the Lakeport City Council, Pace said, “This is a brand new one. We don't have immunity to it. The concern is, it’s ramping up.”
He said viruses tend not to show up in warm weather. In China, where the first cases were seen, infections are now dropping off. But they don’t know if it’s because of people developing immunity or if it's following a seasonal pattern.
He told the Clearlake City Council that so far there hasn’t been much reported COVID-19 activity in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s summertime.
Pace said he and his department are working with local health providers, including hospitals, clinics, ambulance services and other emergency medical services.
“Everybody is very professional and on their game,” he told the Clearlake City Council, adding that it’s been reassuring to him.
The county, he noted, has two small hospitals for a good-sized population. “If a lot of people got sick really fast, it would be a challenge,” he said.
One of the biggest limiting factors are the number of ventilators available at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Adventist Clear Lake Hospital. Pace estimated that there are a total of eight – four each – between the two hospitals.
That, along with the number of available health care workers, could put a strain on the local health care system should a large number of COVID-19 cases occur in Lake County, Pace said.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19 – the illness caused by the novel coronavirus – as have some counties, including Lake’s neighbor, Mendocino.
Health officials reported that the number of confirmed cases worldwide is nearly 114,000. State health officials said Monday that California has 133 confirmed cases.
Dr. Gary Pace, Lake County’s Public Health officer, said the illness is like the common cold. The symptoms of most concern to health care providers are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Pace has been making appearances at meetings around the county to update the community.
Last week he participated in a Kelseyville town hall and also spoke to the city councils for Clearlake and Lakeport.
He’s due to give the Board of Supervisors an update on Tuesday morning.
What he told community members last week – that no local cases have been confirmed – held true on Monday, he said.
“All of the area health officers have agreed to not talk about specific numbers of people being tested at this stage, but I can say that we are monitoring some people that are considered at risk and no one has tested positive,” Pace told Lake County News, adding he will make an announcement if there is a positive case in Lake County.
Last week, state officials announced that expanded test capability had made 24 million more Californians eligible for free medically necessary COVID-19 testing.
The California Department of Public Health's state laboratory in Richmond and 18 other public health department laboratories now have tests for the virus that causes COVID-19. Seventeen of them are currently conducting tests, with the others coming online soon, officials said.
On the local level, Pace said there are two pathways for testing at this point.
They include the Sonoma County Public Health Lab, which is one of the 19 labs statewide that are testing under the expanded capability announced last week.
“Also, commercial testing just became available through Quest and Labcorp labs. They will pick up specimens at clinics and hospitals and send them to their regional labs,” Pace said.
“Both of these pathways have some limitation in terms of the capacity of the labs, but we will see how well they are able to manage demand,” he added.
Pointing to cases in other parts of the region, including Sonoma County, Pace said that it’s hard to know just how many people might be infected because, up to that point, testing had been done on a very limited basis.
Antiviral treatment in clinical study
In a March 6 video, Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health offered insight into the coronavirus and some preventative measures.
Blumberg said at this point since no vaccine has been developed, the treatment is supportive care, like intravenous fluids and supplemental oxygen and, in more severe cases, the use of a ventilator.
Blumberg said there are experimental treatments that are now being studied, such as an antiviral called Remdesivir that originally was developed for ebola. It’s had promising results when used in China and is now being used in some US cases.
The National Institutes of Health said a randomized, controlled clinical trial of Remdesivir in hospitalized adults diagnosed with COVID-19 is underway at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. That is the first clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19 in the United States.
Officials said the first trial participant is an American who was repatriated after being quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that docked in Yokohama, Japan and volunteered to participate in the study.
In his remarks to the city councils last week, Pace explained that an approved vaccine will likely require a year to a year and a half to develop.
Local health care providers preparing
In work and school situations, it’s recommended that sick people stay home. Pace said there are no indications that schools need to be closed, but he suggested canceling nonessential travel.
In some areas, large events are being canceled as a way of protecting people and stopping the virus’ spread, he said.
While Pace said he didn’t think that needed to happen in Lake County, with seniors being the most vulnerable to COVID-19, the Silver Foundation announced that its fourth annual Senior Summit, which had been scheduled for April 4, is being postponed due to concerns about the virus, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace said he’s very concerned about the senior population, and he’s reaching out to senior centers and nursing homes to offer them information on preparation.
Describing the COVID-19 virus to the Lakeport City Council, Pace said, “This is a brand new one. We don't have immunity to it. The concern is, it’s ramping up.”
He said viruses tend not to show up in warm weather. In China, where the first cases were seen, infections are now dropping off. But they don’t know if it’s because of people developing immunity or if it's following a seasonal pattern.
He told the Clearlake City Council that so far there hasn’t been much reported COVID-19 activity in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s summertime.
Pace said he and his department are working with local health providers, including hospitals, clinics, ambulance services and other emergency medical services.
“Everybody is very professional and on their game,” he told the Clearlake City Council, adding that it’s been reassuring to him.
The county, he noted, has two small hospitals for a good-sized population. “If a lot of people got sick really fast, it would be a challenge,” he said.
One of the biggest limiting factors are the number of ventilators available at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Adventist Clear Lake Hospital. Pace estimated that there are a total of eight – four each – between the two hospitals.
That, along with the number of available health care workers, could put a strain on the local health care system should a large number of COVID-19 cases occur in Lake County, Pace said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Northshore woman was seriously injured on Sunday afternoon when her vehicle crashed along Highway 20 near Upper Lake.
The crash occurred shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday on Highway 20 near Saratoga Springs Road, based on radio reports.
California Highway Patrol Officer Joel Skeen said Angel Histo of Nice was driving a white Toyota TC eastbound on Highway 20 west of Saratoga Springs when her car went off the road and rolled over.
Firefighters arriving at the scene reported that Histo was ejected from the vehicle, and they requested an air ambulance respond to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.
A REACH air ambulance responded to Sutter Lakeside and from there transported Histo to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to radio reports.
Skeen said Histo suffered major injuries.
Histo wasn’t suspected of driving under the influence, Skeen said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at