Coronavirus: Public risk still low, but Santa Clara County declares local emergency to prepare

San Jose Mercury-News ^ | February 10, 2020 | By THY VO

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Santa Clara County has declared a local emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak, a procedural move that allows the county to leverage state funds and mutual aid resources if more cases of the virus are confirmed locally.

County public health officials say the risk to the general public is still low, and the declaration approved by the Board of Supervisors Monday afternoon does not change that.

“The declaration and proclamation do not signify any increase in risk to the residents of Santa Clara County. These actions empower the County to more effectively respond to the outbreak, seek and utilize mutual aid, potentially obtain reimbursement, and ensure that the County’s public health professionals have all necessary tools at their disposal to keep the community safe,” the Public Health Department said in a statement.

As of Monday, two cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in Santa Clara County. In both cases, the individuals traveled to Wuhan, China where the virus originated. Unless a person has traveled to China, or had close contact with a person who has, county health officials say the risk is low and there has been no evidence of person-to-person spread of the virus in Santa Clara County.

[George from New England]

I’ve been a reader for many years of the site: cruisecritic.com

What I’ve learned is they filter the posts of users. aka CENSOR.

Many online users have come to falsely think the site has the traveler’s best interest in mind. I say not.

You cannot read anything about that Westerdam ship. When things go wrong on a sailing, they delay the reviews and posts by weeks until the concern is no longer.

Its all about the money.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

State law allows local public health officers to declare a local emergency for up to seven days, which the county did on Feb. 3. The board’s action Monday extended the emergency declaration by another 30 days.

What sort of public health emergency resolves in SEVEN DAYS? What sort of idiotic law is that? Yet the board is able to EXTEND the original seven day emergency for 30 days? What's next? A 365 day extension? (let's hope so)

[null and void]

Anybody want to buy a house in San Jose?

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[VanShuyten]

Being California, can they seize your firearms during an “emergency”?

[Senormechanico]

I am waiting for the cautionary label,

“The State of California has determined that the Coronavirus can cause Cancer.”

[grey_whiskers]

No, that would be "lack of taxes." 😀