Alpine County releases their roadmap to reopening

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Alpine County is grateful to report that we still have only one resident with a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 infection. That occurred in March, the person was not hospitalized, and has recovered. Surrounding counties continue to report either no change or a small increase in the number of cases (El Dorado – 56, with 20 in South Lake Tahoe, Douglas (NV) – 24, Calaveras – 13, Amador – 8, Tuolumne – 2, Mono - 32).

On March 19th, the State Public Health Officer and Governor Newsom issued Stay-at-Home Orders. On April 14th, the State presented the Pandemic Roadmap, a four-stage plan for modifying the original order. On Friday, May 8th, the Governor announced that the entire state would be moving into Stage 2, with counties having the option of adopting aspects of Stage 2 at a faster pace than the state as a whole.

We believe that Alpine County has the ability to demonstrate our ability to protect the public and essential workers, and are in the process of preparing the attestation documentation, and obtaining a Letter of Support from the Board of Supervisors and our Healthcare Coalition (Alpine, Amador, and El Dorado Counties). We have already had our Technical Assistance Call with the California Department

of Public Health (CDPH). We expect to file the requested evidence after the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 19th, which will then be posted on a CDPH Website for public viewing.

What changes will you see in Alpine County as we move forward?

Moving into Stage 2 allows curb-side retail to open along with the manufacturing and logistical supply chains that support them. There is little if anything that applies in this step for Alpine County.

However, the expanded Stage 2 allows for retail stores to open along with office-based businesses, dine-in restaurants (but not bars), and outdoor museums.

The plan for reopening these businesses involves adopting guidance provided by the state to implement strategies to minimize risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus as they resume interacting with the public. Businesses have a responsibility to protect their workers and the public, and to ensure that both groups feel safe in returning to these facilities. Risk mitigation guidance for many sectors may be found at https://covid19.ca.gov. Click on “Resilience Roadmap”.

As we begin to reopen, Public Health will be vigilant in monitoring the COVID-19 activity in our county and the surrounding communities. By taking measures to minimize risk of transmission as we increase activity, our hope is that we can continue to keep adequate containment of COVID-19 within the capacity of our local healthcare system to manage. This involves all first responders, clinics, and
hospitals in surrounding jurisdictions. If we detect a concerning upward trend in new cases, we may need to reinstitute restrictions on movement of persons within our communities.

What does not change?

The success of any roadmap leading to reopening depends largely on individual behaviors practiced by all of us. We need to continue to focus on:

- Limiting the number of persons we interact with outside of our households. This includes birthday parties, weddings, funerals, reunions, etc.
- Maintaining 6-foot physical distance between individuals as much as possible, especially while indoors or in confined spaces.
- We encourage the use of face coverings when unable to maintain the 6-foot space, especially in stores (grocery, pharmacy, other retail).
- Regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and if water not available, use hand sanitizer with >60% alcohol.
- Regular cleaning of surfaces that are touched by multiple persons.
- Stay home if you are sick, except to seek medical care (only after calling ahead).
- If you are in a high-risk category (over 65 years of age, and/or have underlying medical conditions such as COPD, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity), restrict your time out in public to only necessary trips (groceries and pharmacy if no one else can go for you).