Three new COVID-19 cases in Douglas and Washoe Counties - El Dorado County still at zero

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Lake Tahoe and the rest of El Dorado County, as of 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 18.

Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is reporting a second positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. This is the second case reported in the Quad County region: Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties.

The patient is a female Douglas County resident in her 30s. She lives with family members who are being monitored for symptoms and tested at a local facility should symptoms arise. CCHHS will not be releasing any additional details on the individual to protect their privacy.

"We are and will continue to work collaboratively with the emergency response organizations that serve her community," said Jessica Rapp, the CCHHS public information officer.

Washoe County has announced two more confirmed cases of COVID-19. The total in Washoe County is now 14. The two new cases are a man in his 30s with recent travel Europe and another man in his 30s with recent travel to the state of Washington.

Both cases are self-isolating and are in stable condition. The Health District is investigating and working to identify close risk contacts to prevent community spread of the disease. Due to medical privacy requirements and to protect their identity, no further information about the case will be released.

The Washoe County Health Department is monitoring all confirmed cases in Washoe County and all cases remain in stable condition and are self-isolating.

Know the factors that put you at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19:

Travel within the past 14 days to one of the countries identified through CDC’s travel warnings Level 3, and alerts Level 2, which can be found here.

Close contact with persons suspected, or confirmed, to have COVID-19

Severe illness requiring hospitalization for a viral respiratory disease that has no other known cause

If you are experiencing a fever, cough or shortness of breath, please call your health provider’s office or Barton’s COVID-19 Clinical Health Line at 530.600.1999.

How to Protect Yourself:

The best ways to protect yourself and others from any virus, including seasonal flu and coronaviruses, are:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
Stay home from work or school if you're sick
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes
If you have mild symptoms, you may not need to go to a medical facility to see a doctor
If you're sick enough to seek medical care and think you have any respiratory illness, including COVID-19, it's important to call the medical facility before arriving and follow directives to avoid exposing others
Primary care doctors are the point of contact for COVID-19 testing. Your doctor will make the decision about whether to test. It's important to remember that not every person with symptoms needs to be tested.