City of Gilroy Coronavirus Update March 31

From the City of Gilroy:

March 31, 2020

Today, March 31, 2020, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department in coordination with seven Bay Area jurisdictions extended the previous Shelter in Place Order through May 3, 2020. Additional restrictions to the order were also announced and can be found on the County Public Health Department webpage along with a list of Frequently Asked Questions at www.sccgov.org. These changes are being made to protect the health and safety of our communities by slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Due to both increased testing and the incubation period of the virus, we anticipate that the County will discover more cases of COVID-19 over the next few weeks as well as see people already infected begin to show symptoms. The best thing we can do right now to protect our community is to practice social distancing and stay home whenever possible.

The City of Gilroy is continually evaluating operations, the needs of the community, and the guidelines provided by the State and County, and will continue to provide essential services to the community including public safety. In addition, City staff is working diligently with other agencies to coordinate efforts to assist our residents and businesses at this challenging time and to plan for the weeks ahead. A variety of resources to assist businesses and residents can be found on the City of Gilroy website at www.cityofgilroy.org.

To protect first responders, our Gilroy Police and Fire Departments have implemented many new practices and procedures. These include upgrades to personal protective equipment, implementation of new disinfecting procedures, and increasing workplace safety protocols and monitoring. At this time the Gilroy Fire Department has not had any confirmed exposures or quarantines to COVID-19 and is operating at full staff. The Gilroy Police Department has one confirmed exposure to COVID-19 and that staff member is currently undergoing 14-day quarantine. Despite this exposure, the Gilroy Police Department is operating at full staff. Gilroy Police and Fire Departments continue to work with the County daily to identify and implement best practices for protecting the health and safety of our first responders and the health and safety of our community.

The City has several resources available to help you stay informed during this time:

• Visit www.cityofgilroy.org
• Sign up to receive updates by email at http://www.cityofgilroy.org/698/City-Email-Express
• Sign up to receive Nixle Alerts at www.nixle.com

Additionally, both the County and the State have websites with valuable information and resources:

• Santa Clara County Public Health Department at https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Pages/home.aspx
• Sign up to receive important updates and alerts from the County’s ALERT SCC at https://www.sccgov.org/sites/oes/alertscc/Pages/home.aspx
• The State of California at www.covid19.ca.gov

Together we will get through this. Be safe and stay strong.

This press release was produced by the City of Gilroy. The views expressed here are the author’s own.