One year since first COVID-19 case in El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - One year ago the El Dorado County health officer announced the first case of community transmitted COVID-19 in an county resident. Prior to that date two other residents had been found to be positive for the coronavirus, both being exposed while traveling outside of the area.

"The virus is here in El Dorado County, and it’s more important than ever not to travel to places outside the homes except for essential purposes. And when people are conducting essential services and activities, it’s critical to practice social distancing and properly washing your hands,” said El Dorado County Public Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams on March 24, 2020.

Since that date, 9,387 residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 with 107 of them dying from the virus.

Also since that time, schools, restaurants and other businesses, have closed and reopened to prevent the spread and follow health and safety guidelines. South Lake Tahoe appeared to be ghost town after those closures along with the closing of recreation sites and ski resorts.

Barton Health had been planning for the pandemic reaching the region long before that first case one year ago. They had converted 95 rooms to negative pressure rooms, and plans for operations were ready to go.

Since that day, Barton has fielded about 17,000 phone calls through its COVID hotline, completed 25,000 virtual doctor-patient visits, used 15,000 N95 masks, 89,000 gowns and 8,300 face shields. As of mid-March, 11,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 at Barton, They have administered vaccines to 806 staff members and physicians and 1,616 to members of the public. From November to January, the local hospital had 17 members of the National Guard and California Department of Public Health to assist with the surge of positive cases.

The pandemic also brought local residents together to help out where their fellow community members needed them from donations and helping neighbors with food assistance to sewing and creating shields.

The Barton Foundation reports over 300 community members collectively sewed 10,000 cloth masks which masks were immediately used by Barton healthcare workers in the early weeks of the pandemic while guidelines were still evolving, provided to patients who arrived for appointments without face coverings, as well as by numerous local non-profit organizations. Technologically savvy volunteers also designed and produced over 1,200 3-D printed face shields, the Foundation said.