Mass Quarantine, Isolation Ordered In Contra Costa County

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Following the announcement Friday that there was a coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home in Orinda, Contra Costa County's Health Officer, Dr. Chris Farnitano, issued a mass order for residents with COVID-19 and their close contacts to isolate and quarantine themselves.

Contra Costa County had no local cases of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the new coronavirus — at the beginning of March. However, as of Friday, five county residents have died from the virus and 307 residents have tested positive for it. Within 24 hours, the number of positive cases grew by 31 to 307, with 32 people hospitalized.

The mass order is being issued to help slow the spread of COVID-19, protect vulnerable residents and prevent the Contra Costa healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

"The county’s public health staff no longer have the capacity to individually notify and track everyone with COVID-19 and their close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus," county public health officials said in a news release early Friday evening, within hours of holding a news conference to discuss a 27-case outbreak at Orinda Care Center.

"We’ve reached a critical point in the COVID-19 crisis here in Contra Costa," Farnitano said. "Our resources are stretched extremely thin and business as usual is not an option. We believe this mass order is a creative and effective way of getting the job done to keep the sick isolated from others."

• SEE DEMOGRAPHICS: Contra Costa County Coronavirus Dashboard (COVID-19 cases by age, gender, hospitalization)

Under the mass isolation and quarantine order, Contra Costa County residents who have tested positive for the virus must isolate themselves in their home or another residence. They may not leave their home except to receive necessary medical care or during an emergency that requires evacuation.

Mass Isolation, Quarantine Orders For COVID-19 Cases, Their Close Contacts

"COVID-positive individuals without symptoms must isolate for 7 days from the date of a positive test. Those with symptoms must isolate at least 7 days have passed since their symptoms started. Initially symptomatic people must also wait at least 72 hours have passed since after symptoms go away. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
"County residents who test positive for COVID-19 will now be required to tell their close contacts that they need to quarantine themselves if they may have been exposed. Close contacts must then remain at home or another residence for 14 days from the last date that they were in contact with the person infected or with COVID-19.
"People considered 'close contacts' are persons who, during the sick individual’s infectious period, live in, or have stayed overnight, at the individual’s residence; are intimate sexual partners of the individual; or provided care to the individual without wearing a mask, gown and gloves."

Coronavirus Outbreak At Orinda Care Center

Contra Costa Health Services confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 at Orinda Care Center, a senior housing facility on Altrarinda Road in Orinda. At least 27 people have tested positive for the virus so far in connection with the outbreak, according to Contra Costa Health Services Spokesperson Kim Carl.

As of Friday, no deaths associated with the outbreak were reported, Carl said in a media advisory.

In a news conference Friday afternoon, county public health officials said they received multiple reports of possible COVID-19 cases at the skilled nursing facility. Five cases — two residents and three staff members — were identified in the county's initial investigation. The two residents were already hospitalized at that time, and the three employees are on home isolation.

County public health responded to conduct more testing; since then 22 more residents have tested positive. Most of the residents are over 65 years old, and almost half the cases involve residents over 80 years old.

"The situation is very serious, and we are deeply concerned about residents of our senior care facilities in Contra Costa County," Dr. Farnitano said. "That is why we need everyone to follow the stay-at-home order, social distancing guidance and other measures in recent health orders — to protect the people in our community who are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19."

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Orinda Care Center requested the county's assistance in handling the situation, and county public health staff members remain at the facility, where they are separating the residents who are well within the facility.

All the residents have now been tested and the county is working to get all Orinda Care Center staff tested, as well.

Contra Costa Health Services said Friday they are investigating multiple reports about other sensitive settings, such as assisted living facilities, within the county.

"This does not come as a surprise; it is something we have been concerned about for quite some time," county officials said. "We know this is a very vulnerable population."

Contra Costa public health officials did confirm two more coronavirus-related deaths Friday unrelated to the outbreak, bringing the total number of county residents who've died from the virus to five.

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