Barton Health's statement on rising COVID-19 cases in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Positive cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in South Lake Tahoe, with 23.4 cases per 100,000 over the last seven days. At this time, the majority of positive cases are among people able to recover at home, and hospitalization admissions are currently stable.

As of Thursday, there were six hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in El Dorado County, one at Barton.

On May 18, when we last carried a story on the increase of cases, there had been 6556 cases of COVID-19 to date in South Lake Tahoe. That number has now grown to 6671, an increase of 115 cases in 7 days.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District is experiencing a rise in staff members and students who have had to stay home due to both COVID and other illnesses, stressing their substitute resources.

From Barton Health's Public Information Officer, Mindi Befu:

Barton Health is not a public testing site. Barton Urgent Care and Emergency Department facilities continue to prioritize patients based on medical needs. In the event of exposure or symptoms, follow these guidelines:

If you are experiencing mild symptoms of illness and it is not an emergency, stay home and contact your primary care provider.

If you do not have a primary care provider, please visit an urgent care facility.

If you do have an emergency medical need, please visit Barton Emergency Department or call 9-1-1.

For up-to-date information on available testing sites and vaccines, please visit BartonHealth.org/Coronavirus.

For those needing COVID testing-only (including work releases) and do not need to be evaluated by a physician for an urgent or emergent condition, COVID testing may be found at these locations:

El Dorado County Public Health via LHI: visit LHI.care/CovidTesting to make an appointment for a free rapid antigen test (PCR tests available on request) with OR without COVID symptoms. (Spanish speaking residents or those without internet access can call 888.634.1123 to make an appointment).

The testing site is located at the El Dorado Center (3368 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Suite 100, South Lake Tahoe) adjacent to the DMV. If you are already registered in the LHI system, walk-ins are accepted.

Test Well, located at 3678 Lake Tahoe Blvd., is a CLIA-certified lab offering same-day PCR test results or next-day testing for eligible individuals: visit testwell.clinic to make an appointment.

Quick Care Urgent Care is an urgent care facility located 2074 Lake Tahoe Blvd and they offer testing as well as accept walk-ins.

Other testing sites, including pharmacies, are available:

California residents can visit covid19.ca.gov to find other California testing locations.

Nevada residents can visit nvhealthresponse.nv.gov to find Nevada testing locations.

Rapid/ at-home antigen tests are available for free from the U.S. Government. Visit usps.com/covidtests to order free test kits delivered to your home.

Tests are also available for purchase at local pharmacies and online (through retailers like Amazon.com). Continue to check/ call pharmacies for additional inventory.

Barton (Emergency Department, Urgent Care, or medical offices) does not have rapid antigen tests available for purchase.

Vaccines:

Vaccination is still the best defense against severe illness from COVID-19. Individuals five years old and over are recommended to receive a vaccination, including a booster if they completed their primary vaccination series at least five months ago (Pfizer/ Moderna) or two months ago (Johnson & Johnson).

COVID vaccines and boosters are available locally via:

Area Pharmacies - Appointments are available via local pharmacies including CVS, Safeway, Rite Aid, Smith's, Walgreens, Walmart, and Costco.

Public Health

El Dorado County hosts vaccine clinics on Thursdays and Fridays. Appointments can be made on MyTurn.ca.gov.

Quad Counties offers community vaccination events throughout the Quad-County region: GetHealthyCarsonCity.org (or call 800.401.0946).

Additional opportunities or clinics can be searched online at Vaccines.gov or by calling 1.800.232.0233.