Sonoma County officials said Tuesday issued a health order The move to require health care workers to wear masks while treating patients comes in the wake of an increase in cases of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza.
Dr. Karen Smith, the county’s interim health officer, said the incidence of respiratory illnesses that can cause serious infections is higher from fall to spring.
Smith stated in a statement People in health care and congregate settings, especially young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions, are at higher risk of respiratory virus-related hospitalization and death.
“Employees in direct care, health care, and congregate care facilities are at risk for respiratory illness and can transmit the virus to their clients, patients, and co-workers,” she said.
During the pandemic, seniors in nursing homes often contracted the virus from staff members who contracted the virus at home or elsewhere in the community.
Of the 571 deaths, 35% occurred among residents of skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities for the elderly, according to county public health data.
County public health staff are currently using COVID-19 wastewater surveillance and hospitalization rates to determine the level of coronavirus transmission in the area.
Smith said levels of COVID-19 in wastewater in Santa Rosa and Windsor are increasing and public health staff are closely monitoring the trend.
But more importantly, she said, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are also on the rise. According to county data, the number of cases in the county reached 31, the highest number since mid-April.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where hospitals are overwhelmed,” she said, adding that hospitalization rates remain far lower than during the worst surge of the pandemic.
He said the mask-wearing rule for healthcare workers is primarily a precautionary measure aimed at protecting those most at risk of severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses. It primarily applies to healthcare workers who come into contact with patients.
County health officials said the new health order applies to health care facilities, including hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, infusion centers, dialysis centers, skilled nursing facilities, portions of long-term care facilities where nursing care is provided, and other facilities. said that it applies to employees of A location where patient care is provided indoors.
This is the first coronavirus-related health mandate since the state and county lifted mask-wearing rules in early April of this year, allowing local health facilities to create their own policies regarding mask-wearing. became.
At the time, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had designated the “community level” of coronavirus infections as “low.”
Like all but seven California counties, Sonoma County’s COVID-19 levels remain low.
In addition to Smith’s new mask-wearing rules, health officials are also making sure everyone six months of age and older is up-to-date with the COVID-19 vaccine this winter to prevent serious consequences from the disease. issued guidance strongly recommending that
Professor Smith recommends that everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot. She also recommends that anyone in Sonoma County who is at high risk for COVID-19 or the flu, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, should wear a mask in indoor public settings.
Smith said the health order comes amid continued transmission of COVID-19, as well as a resurgence of other winter respiratory illnesses such as seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). said.
As COVID-19 infection rates rise this winter, a full-scale influenza outbreak could overwhelm local health systems with patients requiring critical intensive care. said the officials. The prevalence of respiratory diseases among healthcare workers can also strain local healthcare workers.
Smith said the widespread availability of testing and treatment for COVID-19, the high level of community vaccination in the county, and the decline in deaths during the recent coronavirus surge have led to a year-on-year increase in He said the need for mandatory health orders through the government has been reduced.
However, the county’s most vulnerable residents, including the elderly, chronically ill, and those with weakened immune systems, continue to be at risk of severe consequences from respiratory disease infections.
The new order is the first public health order issued in Sonoma County by Smith, who has become interim health officer.
The county’s last health order of the pandemic era, issued on Jan. 10, 2022, prohibited large gatherings. Most of the health orders since then Then it was either an amendment or an order revoking the previous order.
Contact Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.