There are four new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Santa Clara County, according to the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department. This brings the total number of cases to seven in the county.
The fourth case of coronavirus is an adult woman who is a household contact of the third Santa Clara County case. She is not hospitalized or ill.
The fifth case is an adult woman with chronic health conditions who is currently hospitalized. With this coronavirus case, the investigation has just begun there are no further details currently available. More information is expected to come to light today.
The sixth and seventh cases are a husband and wife who recently traveled to Egypt. Both are hospitalized. The husband has chronic health conditions.
Due to medical privacy requirements and to protect their identity, further information about these three new cases will not be released.
Santa Clara County’s first coronavirus case, which was confirmed on Jan. 31, has recovered and was never sick enough to be hospitalized but was isolated in their home until they recovered.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department says they do not expect an increase in coronavirus cases. The department will continue to identify anyone who has come into contact with these cases and they will also be conducting community surveillance to determine the extent of possible disease spread in the community.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Public Health Department and other partners to protect and inform the public. Visit the Public Health Department’s website for more information about the coronavirus: http://sccphd.org/coronavirus.
Additionally, the California Department of Public Health announced on Friday that new CDC test kits used to detect coronavirus are now available in California can be used to do diagnostic testing in the community.
“The availability to test at California’s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Health Officer. “As we face the likelihood of community transmission here in California, having this resource where we need it, is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.”
Also, the California Department of Public Health recommends that if a person develops coronavirus symptoms including fever, cough or shortness of breath, and has reason to believe they may have been exposed, they should call their health care provider or local health department before seeking care. Contacting them in advance will make sure that people can get the care they need without putting others at risk.
