Marin County has released a status update on the regional response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Read the full press release on the County website.
Field Testing Location Launched:
Marin Health and Human Services (HHS) successfully piloted a “drive through” COVID-19 field testing center today at a location within Marin County. The testing center, inspired by similar testing models in South Korea, is a collaboration between Marin Public Health and local hospitals and was created to support clinics and physicians.
How it works: when a medical provider evaluates and determines a patient needs testing, they can send the patient to the field-testing site, rather than conduct the testing in their clinic or office. The model allows the patient to drive up to a designated location and complete testing with a trained nurse without leaving their vehicle.
Guidance for Skill Nursing Facilities and other Senior Facilities:
Current data shows that older adults, especially those over the age of 80, are at the greatest risk for severe disease if infected with COVID-19. Diseases in general, like COVID-19, can spread rapidly in those communities.
Tomorrow, Marin HHS plans to introduce a policy for skilled nursing facilities to protect these residents. The policy states that any visitor to a skilled nursing facility must be evaluated by staff for COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms before being allowed enter the building. The visitor must wear a mask and wash their hands before encountering any residents of the skilled nursing facility. Visitors are limited to immediate family of a resident or other essential visitor (e.g., health care provider).
COVID-19 activity in Marin:
- Confirmed cases with known source: 3
- Confirmed cases from local transmission: 0
- COVID-19 related deaths in Marin: 0
- All 56 Marin residents who traveled on the Grand Princess – Mexican Riviera voyage have been contacted. Three were hospitalized with symptoms. One tested positive for COVID-19, two tested negative.
- To date, Marin health officials are still awaiting the manifest to determine which Marin County residents were on the Grand Princess Cruise – Hawaiian voyage.
- As of March 10, there are 177 cases and three deaths in California, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Where to get the latest information:
Visit the official Marin County Coronavirus webpage (MarinHHS.org/coronavirus) to review answers to frequently asked questions or subscribe to receive email updates. Individuals can contact Marin Health and Human Services with non-medical questions about the coronavirus by calling (415) 473-7191 (Monday – Friday, 9:30am to 12-noon and 1pm to 5pm) or emailing COVID-19@marincounty.org.