(PLACERVILLE, CA Carla B. Hass Director of El Dorado County Communications)
“While it happened sooner than anticipated, the Greater Sacramento Region, of which El Dorado County is apart, dipped below the 15 percent of available staffed ICU beds which triggered the new Stay At Home Order and will become effective at 11:59 pm Thursday for a minimum of three weeks.
“We have been in close contact with our two County hospitals, Marshall Medical in Placerville and Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe, to ensure we are aware of the status of our health care provider system.
“Over the last several weeks in our County there has been a rise in positive COVID-19 cases, hospital and ICU cases admissions and the need to activate the hospitals surge plans to accommodate these patients. Our hospitalshave begun using overflow areas and utilizing additional respiratory, ICU and emergency room staff, including those from the National Guard, to meet the needs of our communities. We are grateful for their unwavering support to our residents who need care.
“Even before Governor Newsom’s announcement on December 3rd that Regional Stay At Home Orders would be activated when a region’s staffed ICU bed availability was less than 15 percent, El Dorado County Public Health Department and its partners have been preparing for the surge in cases, need for additional testing, rollout of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine, internal and external communications, impact on our loca leconomies, and impact on our residents.
“One way we have prepared and continue to try to meet the needs of our County is through the activation of the Emergency Operations Center which allows for the various disciplines needed in this type of emergency, i.e.,public health, emergency preparedness and response, health care providers, communications and others, to work together daily in the same physical space to plan for contingencies and execute operationally in the most efficient manner.
“Today’s news from the State is something we anticipated and are prepared to address. Whatever one’s personal opinion may be about the State’s authority to apply industry and personal restrictions, it’s indisputable that weare in a new wave of serious cases of COVID-19 and it is having an impact on our health care delivery systems.
“No matter what you choose to do in response to this Order, we urge you to do so as safely as possible so our communities can remain as healthy as possible. Personal responsibility is more important than ever, and it willbe up to each of us individually to make the choices that will help us collectively come through this wave.
