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MCT: Saturday, March 14, 2020

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A COLD UPPER-LEVEL STORM SYSTEM will move across the region this weekend. Heavy mountain snow and coastal small hail will be likely as numerous showers spread across northwest California through Sunday. Lighter showers will continue during early to middle portions of next week. (NWS)

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TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS NEWS CONFERENCE/EMERGENCY DECLARATION

[President Trump held a news conference on Friday with health and business leaders during which he declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus.]

“Today I’d like to provide an update to the American people on several decisive new actions we’re taking in our very vigilant effort to combat and ultimately defeat the coronavirus.

“We’ve been working very hard on this. We’ve made tremendous progress. When you compare what we’ve done to other areas of the world, it’s pretty incredible. A lot of that had to do with the early designation and the closing of the borders.

“As you know, Europe was just designated as the hot spot right now, and we closed that border awhile ago. So that was lucky through talent or through luck, call it whatever you want. But through a collective action, and shared sacrifice, national determination we will overcome the threat of the virus.

“I also announced Wednesday night following the advice of our medical professionals, who were doing a tremendous job, and we appreciate it very much, that we’re suspending the entry of foreign nationals who have been to Europe in the last 14 days from entering the United States. Citizens, primary residents and our families, and any of the families returning from Europe will be subject to extra screening as well as self-isolation for a period of 14 days.

“As the World Health Organization confirmed today many of the things that — what we said were 100 percent correct, including our designation before them of Europe. Like our earlier very aggressive actions with China, this measure will save countless lives. I appreciate a number of the folks behind me — uh, number of the people behind me — said that that saved a lot of lives, that early designation. But it is only the beginning of what we’re really doing, and now we’re in a different phase.

“We had some very old and obsolete rules that we had to live with. It worked on certain circumstances but not under mass circumstances. They were there for a long time and in place for a long time, and we’re breaking them down now. And they’re very usable for certain instances, but not for this.

“To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today, I’m officially declaring a national emergency. Two very big words. The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion of, very importantly — very important and a large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease.

“And in furtherance of the order, I’m urging every state to set up emergency operation centers effectively immediately. You’re going to be hearing from some of the largest companies and greatest retailers and medical companies in the world. They’re standing right behind me and on side of me.

“I’m also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere. The hospitals are very engaged. New York and various other places are also very engaged. I just spoke with Governor [Andrew M.] Cuomo; we had a very good conversation, and we’re working very strongly with many states, including New York.

“Emergency orders I’m issuing today will also confer broad new authority to the secretary of health and human services. The secretary of H.H.S. will be able to immediately waive provisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors and all hospitals and health care providers maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients.

“This includes the following critical authorities — the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth, a fairly new and incredible thing that’s happened in the not-so-distant past. I tell you, what they’ve done with telehealth is incredible. It gives remote doctors visits and hospital check-ins the power to waive certain federal license requirements so that doctors from other states can provide services and states with the greatest need.

“No. 2, the ability to waive requirements that critical-access hospitals limit the number of beds to 25, and the length of stay to 96 hours. The ability to waive the requirements of a three-day hospital stay prior to admission to a nursing home, big thing. The authority to waive rules to hinder hospitals’ ability to bring additional physicians on board or obtain needed office space. They can do as they want. They could do what they have to do. They know what they have to do. Now they don’t have any problem getting it done.

“The authority to waive rules that severely restrict what hospitals could care for patients within the hospital itself, ensuring that the emergency capacity could be quickly established. We’ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they’re entitled to. No resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever. Ten days ago, I brought together the C.E.O.s of commercial labs at the White House and directed them to immediately begin working on a solution to dramatically increase the availability of tests.

“Other countries have called us and worked with us, and they’re doing similar things or will be doing similar things. As a result of that action today we’re announcing a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus. We want to make sure that those who need a test could get a test very safely, quickly and conveniently, but we don’t want people to take a test if — if we feel that they shouldn’t be doing it. And we don’t want everyone running out and taking — only have if you have certain symptoms.

“Using federal emergency authorities, the F.D.A. approved a new test for the virus. We did this within hours after receiving the application from Roche, a process that would normally take weeks. We therefore expect up to half a million additional tests will be available early next week. We’ll be announcing locations probably on Sunday night.

“I want to thank Roche, great company, for their incredible work. I would also like to thank Thermo Fisher. The F.D.A.’s goal is to hopefully authorize the application within 24 hours. It is going very quickly, which will bring additionally 1.4 million tests on board next week and five million within a month. I doubt we’ll need anywhere near that.

“At the same time, we’ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals. The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car.

“I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website. It is going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.

“We have many, many locations behind us, by the way. We cover the — this country and a large part of the world. By the way, we’re not talking about the world right now. But we cover very — very strongly our country, stores in virtually every location. Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now. They’ve made tremendous progress.

“Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus and help all Americans who have been impacted by this. Again, we don’t want everybody taking this test. It is totally unnecessary. And this will pass. This will pass through, and we’re going to be even stronger for it. We’ve learned a lot. Tremendous amount has been learned.

“I want to thank Deborah Birx and ask her maybe to come up and say as a few words as to what’s happening. Dr. Birx is a highly respected person I’ve gotten to know very well over the last six days, and what we’ve done is rebuild something that was very old, very old-fashioned, somewhat obsolete, certainly obsolete when it comes to the numbers we’re talking about.”

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LAUREN KEATING of the excellent and epynonomous Boonville restaurant:

All of us are certainly facing difficult times. Small businesses face particular challenges because we often don’t have deep financial resources to rely on when difficulties arise. Coming after the fires of the past few years and the power outages of last year, Covid-19 is catching us at a particularly vulnerable time. We want to tell you about some of the active steps we are taking to make sure we’re still a part of this community when this crisis passes.

To help provide a safer environment for those of you who still can choose to come out to dine, we have moved our tables farther apart to provide the 6ft spacing recommended by the CDC to provide social distancing. We’re removing the colored pencils & paper from the tables, since they are impossible to keep sanitized between frequent uses. While we have always had systems in place to sanitize menus, tables, condiments, etc, we are training staff to do this more often. We will have hand wipes/sanitizer around the restaurant, and are vigilantly wiping down surfaces like door handles with bleach. We've stepped up all normal safety systems in the kitchen.

For those who don’t want to dine in we will be providing take out service that we will bring out to your car. If you would like to take advantage of this, just let us know when you phone in your order and provide us with a credit card that we will bring out for you to sign with your completed order.

We may be shortening the menu and reducing hours to help control costs. We will also unfortunately be reducing our staffs hours as we try to keep a much less busy restaurant running. We will try to do this equitably among the staff, because we so want them to still be with us when this crisis passes.

Since we can’t foresee what is really going to happen, please bear with us as we make these changes. We may get busy when we’re understaffed or run out of an item that we’ve cut back on. We hope we get it right, but these are challenges we’ve never faced.

ps. We have Green Enchiladas for dinner!

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PLAGUE NOTES

THIS QUOTE seemed a little too-too when I heard it yesterday, but now… "Life as we know it is on hold" seems about right. And this poignant call to KGO Radio this morning from a distraught woman probably sums up the feeling of millions of paycheck workers: "I was told to go home but without pay. How can I pay my rent? I feel like I've been cast out…"

STILL no cases in Mendo, which seems to mean that our naturally dispersed population or "social distancing" is keeping the virus to the south. So far.

TRUMP'S press conference today was a half-hour late starting, and our leader's sun lamp tan made him look all the weirder set against the palefaces surrounding him. If Pence gets any whiter he'll look like X-Ray Man. But, to be fair to Trump, his experts made it clear that however tardy their strategies to arrest the virus they are now in motion, although the millions of economically devastated healthy citizens can't be reassured by the tentative schemes to keep them housed and fed. The terrible ripple effects of all the shutdowns come with signs of another great depression, defined as "When you're out of work it's a recession; when I'm out of work it's a depression."

TRUMP'S EMERGENCY DECLARATION makes $50 billion available to local jurisdictions to fight the virus. He said testing should not be available to everyone, directing people instead to a Google-run website which will launch Sunday and tell people if they should be tested. “The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion of very important and a large amount of money for states and territories, localities in our shared fight against this disease. In furtherance of the order, I'm asking every state to set up emergency operations centers immediately,” he said.

THE GREATEST IRONY on the day is Mexico's threat to close its border with the United States to keep out diseased gringos.

WITH TESTING KIT production ramping up, the plan is that Americans will be able to get drive-through testing at CVS, Target and Walmart, while Google installs an on-line questionairre pointing people to care.

RANDOM FACT, grim division: Italy has more hospital beds than America, and here in Mendo our hospitals are for-profits owned by the Adventist church. We'll see if Trump-Pelosi will make testing and treatment free.

PANIC BUYING is epidemic (sic) on the East Coast and most population centers. LA cops told locust-shoppers to stop calling 911 over line cutting outside stores. The warning to stop wasting police time came as officers had been called to stop false reports of mass fistfights at an LA Costco.

A BOONVILLE person writes: "They should be disinfecting the door handles at the Boonville Post Office every day. I read that the Post Office can be a great contamination zone. And everyone here goes there. Maybe you could write about that. Most people in urban life rarely go to a post office. You could suggest that people who go there use hand sanitizers when they leave after they have opened the door or touched things there. It is the most used public space. It would be a good thing to write about."

ON A LIGHTER NOTE, watching the news with my grandchildren nearby but fortunately paying no attention to the day's catastrophes, Biden suddenly appears on screen:

Grandson (age 8) "I like Biden.

Granddaughter (age 7) "I don't like him. He sniffs little girls' hair!"

Grandson: "So?"

Granddaughter: "What if he sniffed my hair?"

Grandson: "Call the police."

THE COVELO schools will close for three weeks beginning Monday.

A READER WRITES: No evidence of much virus panic in Ukiah on Friday. There did seem like more than usual toilet paper purchasers, but nothing huge. Three stores were low on TP but none were out. Big Lots had a sign that said, “Two to a customer only.” A few shelves looked like they were low on some items, especially cleaning stuff, but they had most other products albeit in lower than the usual amounts. No crowds. No serious shortages. Casual customers, no complaints. Parking lots looked normal. Traffic seemed a bit light… BUT — I’m not a Costco member and did not get anywhere whatever may have been going on there.

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VIRUS DETECTION AND PROTECTION (from Stanford)

Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it successfully without coughing, without discomfort, stiffness or tightness, etc., it proves there is no Fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicates no infection. In critical time, please self-check every morning in an environment with clean air.

Serious excellent advice by Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 cases: Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat are moist, never dry. Take a few sips of water every 15 minutes at least. Why? Even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water or other liquids will wash them down through your throat and into the stomach. Once there, your stomach acid will kill all the virus. If you don't drink enough water more regularly, the virus can enter your windpipe and into the lungs. That's very dangerous. Please send and share this with family and friends. Take care everyone and may the world recover from this Coronavirus soon.


WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REFUTES VIRAL CLAIMS THAT HOLDING YOUR BREATH CAN TEST FOR COVID-19

Facebook posts shared thousands of times claim that holding your breath for more than 10 seconds is an effective test for the novel coronavirus, and that drinking water regularly can prevent the disease. The claims are false; the World Health Organization and other experts said there was no evidence to support these claims.

factcheck.afp.com/world-health-organization-refutes-viral-claims-holding-your-breath-can-test-covid-19


CORONAVIRUS TIPS:

  1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold
  2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.
  3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.
  4. If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
  5. If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours - so if you come into contact with any metal surface - wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap.
  6. On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it.
  7. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.
  8. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but - a lot can happen during that time - you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.
  9. You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.
  10. Can't emphasis enough - drink plenty of water!

The Symptoms:

  1. It will first infect the throat, so you'll have a sore throat lasting 3/4 days
  2. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5/6 days further.
  3. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.
  4. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you're drowning. It's imperative you then seek immediate attention.

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FACING PANDEMIC, CALIFORNIA TAKES COVER, FROM THE CAPITOL TO DISNEYLAND

Hoping to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom clamped down on public gatherings of more than 250 people. The directive stopped short of casinos, movie theaters and theme parks, but some voluntarily shut down.

calmatters.org/economy/2020/03/california-coronavirus-governor-gavin-newsom-disneyland-closed/

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MCDH CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE

The Mendocino Coast District Hospital continues to collaborate with the City of Fort Bragg to keep our residents informed about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Please see the following Public Service Announcement:

In keeping with our commitment to our patients and the health of our community, Mendocino Coast District Hospital, North Coast Family Health Center, and Mendocino Coast Home Health have been working diligently to respond to the rapidly developing events associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital leaders and managers have been in daily contact with the California Department of Public Health and meet several times a week with the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency to sharpen our preparation for this public health emergency.

As of today, we have not received any reports of a confirmed case of COVID-19 infection in Mendocino County. We are making daily preparations should this occur. Our hospital is currently providing physicians and other healthcare providers the ability to test their patients for SARS-coV-2 virus and coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infection. We are training our employees and physicians to respond in a manner that assures the health of our community and the safety of our healthcare workers while maintaining the hospital services that will be needed in the coming days.

We need the cooperation of our healthcare district members and visitors to be successful. Individually, here is what you can do to help:

Stay informed:

Partner with your Healthcare provider:

  • If you experience the signs or symptoms of infection to this virus, i.e.,
  • Travel to an area of COVID-19 outbreak,
  • Contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-coV-2, and
  • Fever, dry cough, shortness of breath,

Then call ahead to your doctor's office, put on a mask and sanitize your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when entering the facility.

If your physician decides a test for the SARS-coV-2 is needed, the test will be performed at a Quest Diagnostics reference laboratory. The test will take a minimum of eight days before results are available. During that time, and for fourteen (14) days from the time of your office visit, you will need to quarantine yourself at home or until the result is negative. A test is negative only if repeated 24 hours after the first result, and remains negative (this may extend the fourteen day quarantine period). It is also recommended that any close contacts you have had also remain in home quarantine for 14 days or until a negative result is received.

Help the hospital keep patients and workers safe:

  • Do not visit the hospital if you have a fever, cough, runny nose or other signs of infection.
  • Wash your hands.

Keep yourself safe:

  • Avoid crowds & keep a distance between yourself and others of at least six feet when you are in public areas.
  • Wash your hands frequently.
  • Avoid touching your face and avoid shaking hands.

Questions regarding the City of Fort Bragg’s monitoring of COVID-19 should be directed to Tabatha Miller, City Manager at (707) 961-2829. Questions regarding the Mendocino Coast District Hospital response efforts should be directed to Wayne Allen, CEO at (707) 961-4610.

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1918 FLU EPIDEMIC

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FROM KATY TAHJA

Yes, I realize we need to be cautious with the virus. But two of the three events I was driving to town for tomorrow were cancelled, the Redwood Region Logging Conference where I hoped to sell a lot of my books next weekend is cancelled and we wanted to take grandson to Monterey Bay Aquarium over spring vacation. But will it be open? At a public meeting in Comptche Thursday night we all sat six feet apart as we agreed to postpone the Emergency Preparedness Fair we'd planned for April 4th. Like everyone else I'll be getting a lot of house cleaning and yard work done.

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CORONAVIRUS: SAN JOSE MOVES FORWARD WITH MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, PROPOSES FINANCIAL AID FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Amid growing concerns over the potential economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak on Silicon Valley businesses and residents, San Jose city leaders are moving forward with a temporary moratorium on the evictions of tenants facing significant financial burdens due to the global pandemic.

mercurynews.com/2020/03/10/coronavirus-san-jose-adopts-moratorium-on-evictions-proposes-financial-aid-for-small-businesses/

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GUALALA COMMUNITY CENTER SUSPENDS PAY&TAKE

Effective immediately, the Gualala Community Center is suspending all Pay 'n' Take activities, including Saturday sales and receipt of donations, during regular Tuesday hours and after-hour drop-offs.

If you have friends and neighbors who do not subscribe to the AVA, advising them of this suspension would be helpful.

Thanks,

Whyte Owen

For the GCC Board of Directors

Gualala

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THE WORD “PLAGUE” had just been uttered for the first time. At this stage of the narrative, with Dr. Bernard Rieux standing at his window, the narrator may, perhaps, be allowed to justify the doctor’s uncertainty and surprise – since, with very slight differences, his reaction was the same as that of the majority of the townsfolk. Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world; yet somehow we find it hard to believe in ones that crash down on our heads from a blue sky. There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.

— The Plague, Albert Camus

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THE WHITESBORO GRANGE PANCAKE B'fast for this month is cancelled. Stay safe, stay healthy.

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MENDOCINO SCHOOLS CLOSE FOR TWO WEEKS (Can Boonville be far behind?)

Dear Parents,

I have decided to close MUSD schools for two weeks beginning March 16th through March 27th.

I will be re-evaluating the situation each week. Should the closure extend, there is a possibility that spring break would be moved. While there are still no confirmed cases in Mendocino County, it is our responsibility as a public organization to be leaders in slowing the spread of COVID-19.

We are currently working on a plan for supplemental education, mental health services, and possibly nutrition services. We will provide more information about these programs early next week.

The reason for closing schools is to reduce the potential for community transmission should COVID-19 be in our community.

We recommend that staff, students, and parents limit gatherings and refrain from travelling to and from areas in the state that have known COVID-19 outbreaks.

Information regarding this closure will be updated as needed and will be posted on the email lists, the MUSD website (http://www.mendocinousd.org), and on the K-8 main office door.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at jmorse@mcn.org or 937-5868.

Thank you,

Jason Morse

Superintendent

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FROM SUPERVISOR WILLIAMS: Superintendent Becky Walker of the Fort Bragg Unified School District reported on COVID-19 last night, stating "sharing is caring." Actually, this is an unparalleled circumstance with unknowns. I hope FBUSD reconsiders the risks and role our schools can play in mitigation of the spread of the coronavirus in our community. To be proactive, we'll need collaboration from all entities. County Superintendent Michelle Hutchins told me she gave districts her recommendation that they close, but it's individual school districts and not MCOE that can take action. Michelle shared, "I am in favor of doing everything to slow the spread of COVID 19. Because we are in a rural county, our healthcare system could be easily overtaxed. Closing schools proactively could be a really good mitigation tool.

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OPUS CONCERT CANCELED

The Opus Chamber Music Concert Series has canceled the last two performances of this season due to the Corona Virus for the safety of the musicians, our audience and the community. Please call the office of the Symphony of the Redwoods at 707-964-0898 or email at symphony@mcn.org if you have purchased a ticket and would like to have it reimbursed. This is all very sad but we feel it is the necessary action. We trust that the current health situation, of our nation, and worldwide will be properly handled, so we can all get back to our normal lives as soon as possible. With that in mind, our 2020-21 season has been planned for quite some time and that information will be available at our website, symphonyoftheredwoods.org within a few weeks. We are looking forward to seeing you in September for the first concert of this next season! Thank you for your patience, understanding and continuing support,

Eva von Bahr

Opus Coordinator

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GOOD EARTH MARKET, FAIRFAX, Thursday afternoon

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KATIE PORTER FOR THE KILL

See how lawmaker gets CDC chief to promise free coronavirus tests

cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/03/12/katie-porter-robert-redfield-cdc-coronavirus-free-testing-sot-vpx.cnn

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LAUNDER THAT MONEY

Editor:

What is the one thing you can touch that has the most germs passed from millions daily? Money. I recently cleaned the money in my wallet with Clorex wipes to disinfect, but I was astounded by the dirty gunk that came off my bills. Really gross. I remembered playing a game with a child online to track a dollar bill to see where it went. It went fast from Santa Rosa across the country. I urge others to clean their money, and if you pay in cash, put what is given back in a baggie until you can clean it. This may seem trite to some, but I don’t wish to die, and since I am 72, I will take every precaution. Especially since I cannot find hand sanitizer anywhere. And what’s up with toilet paper?

Candace Corby Millen

Santa Rosa

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AV VILLAGE UPDATES & SOME NOVEL CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

AV Village Events update:

Mind Body Relaxation Community Group March 2nd — Canceled due to low participation

Coffee with the coordinator March 26th — Canceled — I’ll let you know about the April one ASAP

Note: check with the organizers of the non-AV Village events on our calendar to see if they are still happening.

AV Village Members:

Remember that we have a team of volunteers to meet many of your needs — including transportation, shopping for groceries, running errands, pick up prescriptions, check calls or visits, etc. Let me know if you need any of these and I can help set it up.

In additions to what you already know and are hearing about the Novel Coronavirus — here are some resources below, including local info.

The best thing anyone can do to help protect oneself from this infection is to follow all of the same recommendations that are related to influenza: * Stay away from work if you become sick with flu or cold like symptoms * Keep children home from school if they become sick with flu or cold like symptoms * Make sure you have a supply of your routine medicine, a thermometer so you can know if you develop a fever, and have extra nonperishable food at home * Make plans now to have the support needed at home if you need to stay home due to illness. Reach out to family, friends, neighbors to offer and receive support * Wash your hands regularly with soap and water after being in public * Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands * If you have a respiratory illness, please call your healthcare provider before seeing anyone, for advice

Mendocino County resources:

AV Health Center — 707- 895-3477 https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cea1e601922fa82e47579cc80&id=6f3a268ed9&e=358077c1c9 - Remember that if you have flu-like symptoms (cough, low-grade fever, gastrointestinal symptoms etc.) we are asking you to call our health center so that a Nurse can Triage you over the phone. If you are unable to call please come to our door and ring the doorbell located outside the main entrance. Someone will be out to Triage you immediately. Note: Tests for COVID 19 are currently available at the health Center but you must be Triaged, etc. by a nurse beforehand.

Listen to KZYX and check the website for the latest local news

https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cea1e601922fa82e47579cc80&id=3697ad8c19&e=358077c1c9

Mendocino County has a call center to answer questions from the public about COVID-19: Call (707) 234-6052 (tel:7072346052) . (Monday thru Friday

8am - 5pm - after hours it rolls over to our dispatch) or email:

callcenter@mendocinocounty.org Mendocino County Public Health will publish press release updates on Mondays at 5:00 p.m.

Mendocino County Health & Human Services Agency

https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cea1e601922fa82e47579cc80&id=b883fe3ac8&e=358077c1c9

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Press Conference - March 12, 2020 - Mendocino County - YouTube video

https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cea1e601922fa82e47579cc80&id=692d86a9bb&e=358077c1c9

CA State Resources:

California Department of Public Heath

https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cea1e601922fa82e47579cc80&id=8ffeba246a&e=358077c1c9

All the best and please don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything!

Anica Williams

Anderson Valley Village Coordinator

Cell: 707-684-9829

Email: andersonvalleyvillage@gmail.com

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CANCELED: PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP ON MARCH 18TH 2020 ON OAK WOODLANDS

Good Afternoon,

As a precaution, the Department has decided to cancel the Oak Woodland Ordinance Workshop scheduled with the Planning Commission on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 until further notice. At this time, we feel that there is not adequate space to accommodate social distancing in our conference rooms and will be reviewing a new location for the future workshop date. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have a date set by the end of April. Please contact staff if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.

Adrienne Thompson

Administrative Services Manager

Mendocino County Planning & Building Services

860 North Bush Street, Ukiah, CA 95482

707-234-6650

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WE AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION of Mendocino County have been closely following the novel coronavirus, and are taking necessary precautions. While no positive cases have been reported in Mendocino County to date, we realize the very real threat this virus poses and the possibility of widespread infection, as well as the economic impact it can make on our small community. For individuals who are experiencing undue hardship due to COVID-19, our Angel Fund is available on an emergency basis. We are also anticipating the economic impact of the virus on our non-profit community as they cancel or postpone fundraising events and/or respond to increased community need or unforeseen operational costs. Non-profits may access our Save-the-Day grant program.

If you would like to help provide a safety net to our community, we encourage you to give directly to local non-profits or to our Angel Fund (individuals) or Save-the-Day Fund (nonprofits) today. To stay apprised of the latest information on the virus, we recommend following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for preventing the spread of the disease. While we still do not know all the facts about COVID-19, the CDC has collected frequently asked questions on their website which may answer many of your questions. To stay informed of developments in Mendocino County, we recommend following the County of Mendocino updates.

From all of us at The Community Foundation, stay safe and exercise caution. Reach out to friends, neighbors, and family — staying connected during times of uncertainty is of upmost importance.

Donate:

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County · 204 South Oak Street · Ukiah, CA 95482 · (707) 468-9882

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LET'S KEEP IT REAL. Informational flow chart provided by the Center for Disease Control. Last line probably the most important -- "Only a doctor [not the Internet] can give you a diagnosis." (DA David Eyster)

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FOUR REASONS CIVILIZATION WON’T DECLINE: IT WILL COLLAPSE

As modern civilization’s shelf life expires, more scholars have turned their attention to the decline and fall of civilizations past. Their studies have generated rival explanations of why societies collapse and civilizations die. Meanwhile, a lucrative market has emerged for post-apocalyptic novels, movies, TV shows, and video games for those who enjoy the vicarious thrill of dark, futuristic disaster and mayhem from the comfort of their cozy couch. Of course, surviving the real thing will become a much different story.

counterpunch.org/2020/03/13/four-reasons-civilization-wont-decline-it-will-collapse/

* * *

CATCH OF THE DAY, March 13, 2020

Beltram, Cordova-Dalson, Flinton

TIMOTHY BELTRAM, Fort Bragg. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, special allegation: great bodily injury to person over 70 year old, DUI causing bodily injury.

CARRIE CORDOVA-DALSON, Redwood Valley. Loaded handgun, not registered owner.

SEAN FLINTON, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

Garcia, Kawamura-Avina, Lafrance

RICARDO GARCIA, Ukiah. Failure to appear, parole violation,

MIYUKI KAWAMURA-AVINA, Ukiah. Protective order violation, probation revocation.

RASHARD LAFRANCE, Miramar/Ukiah. Robbery, probation revocation.

Larkin, Long, Newell

DAVID LARKIN JR., Fort Bragg. Domestic abuse.

MALORIE LONG, Ukiah. Domestic battery, controlled substance, suspended license (for DUI), probation revocation.

MARK NEWELL, Redwood Valley. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, failure to appear, probation revocation.

Owens, Pratt, Walrath

JENNIFER OWENS, Petaluma/Fort Bragg. Failure to appear.

JASON PRATT, Fort Bragg. Saps or similar weapons, suspended license.

MARK WALRATH, Ukiah. Outstanding misdemeanor warrant.

* * *

FREASE: GUILTY AGAIN (AND AGAIN, and…)

UKIAH, Thurs., March 12. -- A Mendocino County Superior Court jury returned from its deliberations Thursday afternoon with "the glass is half full" verdict against the trial defendant.

The jury returned a guilty verdict against defendant Manuel Frease, Jr., age 61, of Covelo, for "simple" possession of methamphetamine, a misdemeanor and a lesser included charge to the charged felony.

Frease

The pivotal issue at trial was whether or not the methamphetamine found in the possession of the defendant, along with other evidence, was possessed for commercial purposes, a felony. The jury determined it was not.

However, after the jury was excused, the court proceedings moved immediately to a sentencing hearing on the misdemeanor conviction. In the end, probation was denied and the defendant received a jail sentence roughly equivalent to a two-year local prison sentence.

Defendant Frease has been no stranger to the local criminal justice system. Since 1977 he has racked up at least five felony convictions, that in turn resulted in four trips to state prison, as well as eight separate misdemeanor convictions.

Three of his five felony convictions are Strikes within the meaning of California's modified Three Strikes law, and the other two of the five convictions were for -- wait for it -- possessing methamphetamine for purposes of sale.

The attorney who presented the People's evidence to the jury was Deputy District Attorney Luke Oakley.

The investigating law enforcement agency was the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force, and the Department of Justice forensic crime laboratory.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Carly Dolan presided over the four-day trial.

* * *

HUMAN REMAINS LOCATED OFF HWY 1 IDENTIFIED AS BELONGING TO MISSING MAN

The human remains found north of Westport on Highway 1 this last Saturday have been officially identified as those of missing man Lewis Compton...

kymkemp.com/2020/03/13/human-remains-located-off-hwy-1-identified-as-belonging-to-missing-man/

* * *

WELCOME ALL YOU FAIR FANS!

Well, it's a new year and we hope that our vision for getting you all involved with our county fair will come true this year. Springtime is almost here so hopefully, you're planting seeds for the flowers and vegetables along with raising some livestock to enter into the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show September 18th -20th, 2020!

Hopefully, you know about all the different types of things you can enter into the County Fair online now and be part of the fun. The County Fair is one of the best places to showcase some of your handiwork if you like to arrange flowers, take photographs, make pottery, paint, make clothing, quilts, scarves, hats, shoes or boots, or all types of woodwork; and this is just a few of the things you can enter into the fair.

September will be here before you know it and you’ll want to start thinking about that fun float you are going to enter in the parade on Sunday! There's also a hall for all things wool, with lots of handmade things and demonstrations like how to shear sheep; and speaking of sheep you don't want to miss the sheepdog trials that happen in the rodeo arena and the rodeo too. It is always a great rodeo on fair weekend, so if you like bull riding, team roping, and bronco riding, you don't want to miss that!

Maybe you will want to grow some fruit or vegetables to enter and remember that freaky stuff can win some prize money like that big squash that looks like an elephant. The biggest tomato or the biggest pumpkin is good for some money also. Perhaps you are thinking of entering a scarecrow or building a feature booth in the fair?

You can bake things and make things, or you can or pickle things, or even make some candy, like peanut brittle or toffee, also things like cakes, pies, and cookies and they can all be entered. There are so many wonderful things that people make with their hands and dream up with their minds to showcase at our County Fair and you can be part of this. There's no time like the present to start planning ahead and you don't want to miss the carnival with all the rides like the Ferris wheel and maybe take a ride on the Zipper.

There are also all types of tasty treats at the Fair; from apple pie and ice cream to corndogs and cotton candy. You might even try some of the games and win a goldfish or stuffed animal. There's always lots to do in our County Fair; if you're a youngster you might want to be in the scavenger hunt and get a free ice cream if you complete it, or you just might want to take your little one on a ride on a pony or visit all of the livestock from bunnies to turkeys, chickens, and sheep to goats and there's always a great dance and live music too. So mark your calendars and start making some plans so you can be part of the best little county fair in all the land here in Boonville, California. We all hope you'll get involved with the fair this year!

The Fair Boosters

(Donna Pierson-Pugh)

* * *

* * *

JENDI COURSEY COMMUNICATIONS BECOMES UKIAH’S FIRST CERTIFIED B CORP

Ukiah, CA — Jendi Coursey Communications (JCC), a small communications consulting firm, just became Ukiah’s first Certified B Corporation, verifying that it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The certification provides public recognition that JCC is part of a global movement to use business a force for good, a movement that includes local businesses like Thanksgiving Coffee, North Coast Brewing Co., and Fetzer Vineyards, as well as international companies such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s.

CEO Jendi Coursey said, “Becoming a B Corp has been a great process. It made us look at everything we do: which clients we choose, who our vendors are, how we treat employees, where we buy supplies—basically, it helps you incorporate your values into every decision you make.”

March is B Corp month, so it is fitting that Coursey makes her announcement now. Led by the certifying organization B Lab (bcorporation.net) https://bcorporation.net/, this is the month when Certified B Corps celebrate their positive social and environmental impacts and invite other companies to join the movement.

Coursey said she learned about the B Corp movement several years ago, but personal challenges prevented her from pursuing certification until last year. She credits consultant Heather Paulsen (hpaulsenconsulting.com https://www.hpaulsenconsulting.com/) for helping her complete the B Impact Assessment and working with her to implement policies that hard-wired her deeply held values into the company. She is also grateful for employee Kendyl Saxby’s consistent and thoughtful project management skills that were instrumental for successfully completing B Lab’s rigorous verification process.

“Even if a company doesn’t certify, going through the B Impact Assessment is worthwhile. But, I’m really glad we are certified,” Coursey said with a big smile.

Jendi Coursey Communications (jendicoursey.com http://www.jendicoursey.com) focuses primarily on education and healthcare, though Coursey also enjoys working in other industries. The company provides public relations, crisis communication support, leadership training, and communication coaching. Clients include Mendocino Coast Clinics, Kelseyville Unified School District, Mendocino County Office of Education, and many more.

* * *

UPDATED UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS

We have just posted an update to the election results to our website - mendocinocounty.org/government/assessor-county-clerk-recorder-elections/current-election-results

We have processed over 15,000 vote by mail ballots since our last results were posted on Election Night. We continue with our mandated tasks to complete the 28 day canvass. I do not anticipate posting any further results until we certify the election.

Thank you,

Katrina Bartolomie

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters

County of Mendocino

* * *

FAMOUS FB STOPPED CLOCK NOW UP AND RUNNING (TWO MINUTES FAST) via msp

* * *

BLACK SWANS, DEAD CATS, LIVE BATS & GOODBYE TO ALL THAT

by James Kunstler

Had enough excitement yet? At least the stock markets are following an established script: the bubble pops, the elevator drops, for a while it stops… and then investments sink to the deepest sub-basement, where they linger for a long, long time. Hello, next great depression…. We know how that story goes, even if it hurts.

This corona virus is something else. It engulfs whole populations in a fog of confounding narratives. Is it no worse than a bad common cold, except for old folks already half-gone with chronic illness? Or does it really slam people even in the midst of life? Well, Wuhan hospital director Liu Zhiming, 51, went down two weeks ago, and gastroenterologist Xia Sisi, 29, and Dr. Peng Yinhua, also 29, and some prominent Iranian politicians, and lots of very sick healthcare workers from Korea to Italy. Whatever corona virus is, I’m not persuaded that it’s a hoax.

One monster banging around in that fog is the narrative that China started this thing simply to get rid of Mr. Trump. There’s a real baby-and-bathwater proposition. Would China, in effect, blow up its export economy for that, i.e. commit suicide? Because a lot of those prior arrangements will probably not come back — the manufacturing supply lines for this-and-that, the fabulous cornucopia of plastic goodies extruded from all those smoking factories and flushed out to the world, the whole glorious let’s-get-rich extravaganza that Deng Xiaoping kicked off forty years ago. It’s looking like the global economy is on the rocks, perhaps for good, as we knew it. Is China as plumb crazy as, for instance, America’s political Left?

If anything, China has only validated Mr. Trump’s point that America bargained away its industrial independence, and must become more self-sufficient again. True enough. Where I depart from MAGA is my sense that the industrial age itself has probably shot its wad, and that whatever America makes of itself going forward is likely to be a much more modest and simpler way of life, without a lot of the dazzling bells and whistles we’ve become accustomed to, and perhaps some genuine hardship.

I say that, readers will recall, because it really all comes down to the energy inputs available and that part of the picture has gone pretty grim in just the past week. The convergence of world events has driven a wooden stake through the heart of the shale oil business. From the get-go, shale oil was a loser because it just cost too much to get that oil out of the rock it was trapped in. It only worked as a financial stunt during the low interest lending orgy of the past decade. It was a magnificent stunt, you understand, goosing US production to 13 million barrels a day — energy independence, with all those short-term feel-good vibes — but it was just a stunt and now it’s over. The reality of this has yet to penetrate the American hive-mind.

Corona virus neatly imploded that financing scaffold, and now, with world business locked down and markets cratering, capital is vanishing. As I’ve averred before, the shale companies spent ten years proving to investors that they can’t make a red cent. Their bonds and notes are sinking into sub-investment-grade oblivion. Some of the major producers — Whiting, Oasis, Chesapeake — have lost over 90 percent of their share value and will probably soon be gone. Who would lend them more money now, even if the money was there? (Maybe Uncle Sam’s wicked step-son, Mr. Trump, if it comes down to that… we’ll see.) Meanwhile, oil is cheap, but demand is gone, planes are not flying, ships are not sailing, stadiums are empty, lots of things are shutting down, and quite a bit of it may not ever come back.

US politics were already crazy enough before all this suddenly happened. The crisis of the past few weeks also saw the supernatural elevation of Joe Biden to the utterly implausible role of last-vehicle-standing in the Democratic Party demolition derby. Who do they think they are kidding? Not only is Joe Biden observably gone-in-the-head — that is, clearly unfit to be president — but he’s loaded down with a steaming, fetid cargo of easily proven grifting offenses so clunky and obvious they would embarrass a South Philly mobster. I’m sure Mr. Biden stayed in the race solely to avoid investigation for his operations in Ukraine and China with son, Hunter.

Corona virus has provided a chance for the former veep to duck out of the spotlight, where he spent recent weeks blathering incoherently and starting fights with voters. And now something really nefarious may be a’foot with the Dems. If the wounded Bernie Sanders does not use Sunday’s debate as an opportunity to expose Mr. Biden’s dementia and finish him off, here’s the DNC’s playbook: Hope that the stock market crash and broken economy sink Mr. Trump in public opinion, then contrive to nominate Mr. Biden and get a black woman on the ticket as veep. That part of the story has been trotted out already. I’m beginning to wonder whether that black woman will happen to be Michelle Obama, and I’m also wondering whether Barack Obama is behind the scenes orchestrating this. Of course, Mr. Biden, if elected, will serve in office less than a week — just long enough to hustle him off with the 25th amendment. Voila! The Obamas are back in the White House, out-Clintoning even the Clintons! Happy days are here again! (Not.)

(Support Kunstler’s writing by visiting his Patreon Page.)

* * *

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

On one newscast I saw before the Michigan primary Biden was asked a question about taking away guns. First he smiled and made some vanilla remark THEN he started cursing the man who asked the question. On the PBS Newshour that night they had the exact same clip but cut off the last part — only showed the teeth-whitened smile. Burst of anger are one of the symptoms of Alzheimers and this isn’t the first time he’s done it. Biden’ sudden elevation to front-runner after South Carolina and Mayor Pete and Amy’s instant support (proving they’re as venal as I always suspected) I think does mean there’s plenty of backroom dealing. There’s a lot of talk about “energizing the base” which means minorities so one will be nominated for VP. They know they’ve lost the “deplorable” working class unless they actually have a real plan for universal health care. They don’t and they don’t want one either. Health care stocks surged 10% after Biden won S.C.

* * *

FOR MANY YEARS I have been trying to tell “progressives” who cling to the quixotic notion of advancing social democracy, peace, and environmental sanity through the Democratic Party that the party’s corporate establishment hates them and would rather lose to the ever more fascistic Republican Party than to the moderately social-democratic wing of their own party.

— Paul Street

* * *

ALL OF THE FINANCIAL ELITES who were willing to swallow Trump’s nativism, managerial incompetence and anti-science lunacies in exchange for tax cuts, gutted regulations and a bull market are getting their just desserts…but did they have to drag the rest of us down with them?

— Jeffrey St. Clair

* * *

IDEOLOGIES

Socialism: You have two cows, and you give one to your neighbor.

Communism: You have two cows, the government takes both and gives you milk.

Fascism: You have two cows, the government takes both and sells you milk.

Nazism: You have two cows, the government takes them and kills you.

Capitalism: You have two cows, you sell one and buy a male. You multiply your cows and there is economic growth. You sell them, you retire and you live on your profits.

Modern Capitalism: You have two cows, you sell one and buy a male. You multiply your cows and you buy those of your neighbors. The latter become your shepherds, you pay them in monkey currencies and they die poor.

American Society: You have two cows, you sell one and you have to make the other one to produce milk like 4 cows. By dint of producing beyond her capacity, she dies. You take a consultant to understand this death.

French Society: You have two cows, you go on strike because you want a third.

German Society: You have two cows, you modify them so that they live 100 years, eat once a month and treat themselves.

Chinese Society: You have two cows, you sell milk to your compatriots and you produce plastic milk to export to the rest of the world.

Black/African Society: You have two cows, you eat them all the same day and you dream that donors or the international community give you others. You go to a church or a mosque pray to Jesus or Allah for them to give you other cows. You fast 40 days and 40 nights without eating or drinking so that the cows will fall from Heaven. You recite "Hail Mary" a million times without success. You look for passages that speak of cows in the Bible or the Quran hoping to see the cows appear. At the end you have no strength to read the Bible or the Quran. You become a prophet of the good news of the cows that will be coming soon. You die in extreme poverty.

* * *

THE SICK JOKE OF DONALD TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY ISN'T FUNNY ANY MORE

The coronavirus outbreak has revealed the full stupidity, incompetence and selfishness of the president to deadly effect

theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/13/coronavirus-donald-trump-presidency-sick-joke

* * *

‘THE FAR SIDE’ IS RETURNING… BUT CAN THE PC CROWD HANDLE IT?

A recent New York Times interview with Gary Larson confirms that the cartoonist is emerging from the seclusion of his retirement with a “Far Side” website. Although the site will mostly feature old cartoons, Larson revealed that his site will also contain new drawings.

intellectualtakeout.org/article/far-side-returning-can-pc-crowd-handle-it

* * *

BERNIE SUPPORTERS, NO SURRENDER

We should fight to the end for Bernie Sanders’s campaign, on the off chance that we might win a new beginning. And then, win or lose, we should be prepared to fight some more. As the great reformer Tony Benn put it, “There is no final victory, as there is no final defeat. There is just the same battle. To be fought, over and over again. So toughen up, bloody toughen up.”

jacobinmag.com/2020/03/bernie-sanders-2020-democratic-presidential-primary

* * *

PRESIDENTIAL TULSI

41 Comments

  1. Craig Stehr March 14, 2020

    ~Happiness Within~
    “I have come here to remind you that the goal of life, the be-all the summum bonum of existence is Self-Realisation or attainment of God Consciousness. I have come here not to teach you but to stir or awaken you all in the path of spirituality. You have forgotten your real Swaroop or purpose of life on account of the force of Avidya, Maya, Moha and Raga. You are tossed about hither and thither and caught up in the Samsaric wheel of birth and death on account of your egoism, vasanas, trishnas and passions of various kinds. I have come here to remind you that the real happiness is within and not without.” ~Swami Sivananda

    And I might add: “Do not be attached to anything at all!” ~Craig Louis Stehr

  2. Eric Sunswheat March 14, 2020

    RE: GOOD EARTH MARKET, FAIRFAX, Thursday afternoon.

    ————>. That picture was from the full service checkstand area by the south entrance. If you have pictures on your camera roll, of the west entrance, by the single line snaking towards the 12 item or less counters near the cold salad bar and fresh bakery, you might see that the shoppers standing in that line, who had an average of 3 items to purchase, which was as unusual as the full shopping carts in the AVA picture.

    On Friday the San Anselmo Safeway Red Hill, was slammed with shopping demand draining the shelves, after shoppers were entirely filling parking lot with parked cars, and had the highest amount of excess shopping demand, exceeding all other Safeway stores in the regional Safeway district, according to vested employee folklore.

  3. mr. wendal March 14, 2020

    re: PLAGUE NOTES

    “RANDOM FACT, grim division: Italy has more hospital beds than America…”

    They do not have more hospital beds, but Italy does have more hospital beds per person (3.18 vs. 2.77 per 1,000 inhabitants) than the US. They were overwhelmed by COVID-19. Japan has 13. Germany has 8. We were ranked 31 out of 42 countries. Even China has more at 4.34. The numbers are from the most recent OECD in 2018 and we probably have fewer now.

    We have a pretty large aged population here on the coast and local peeps would like to know how Mendocino Coast District Hospital will fare. How many beds (and how many are in ICU) and ventilators per 1,000 inhabitants do we have? Do the closed wards still have beds in the rooms or are they sitting empty?

    • Bruce Anderson March 14, 2020

      Good catch, Mr. Wendel.

    • Jeff Fox March 14, 2020

      MCDH is licensed for 25 beds, 4 of those beds are ICU beds. Previous to becoming a “Critical Access” hospital it was a 54 bed hospital, so at least in theory the infrastructure is there to accommodate more than 25 beds. In the recent past, available L&D beds have been used to accommodate inpatients during high patient volumes.

      To retain its status as a critical access hospital (which is important for Medicare funding) the hospital must not exceed 25 patients, and the average “length of stay” cannot exceed 4 days. (I believe there are exceptions for disaster situations.)

      • James Marmon March 14, 2020

        (I believe there are exceptions for disaster situations.)

        There are a lot of exceptions thanks to Trump declaring a National Emergency yesterday and several important executive orders he made. Should pull poor ole Mendocino County’s ass out of the fire.

        James

      • mr. wendal March 14, 2020

        Thanks for the numbers. Here’s to there being no need for those beds.

    • George Hollister March 14, 2020

      Italy also has a significantly older, and vulnerable demographic than the US. 23% over 65 for Italy. 15% over 65 for the USA. The coast does have a relatively large population of people over 65, though. And from an article in the WSJ yesterday, it was mentioned that rural hospitals could be easily overwhelmed if there was a corona virus outbreak locally.

  4. James Marmon March 14, 2020

    RE: 1918 FLU EPIDEMIC AND ONIONS

    As reported by my 87 year old mother yesterday.

    My uncle Daniel Loomis died during the 1918 flu epidemic. My grandmother and 2 year old uncle Steve were also inflicted at the same time. When the doctor told my great grandfather, also named Daniel, that there was nothing he could do for uncle Steve and my grandmother, my grandfather boiled some onions, wrapped them in cloth and then placed them on their chest’s. After the doctor did not hear from the Loomis’ for a few days he decided to check on them, thinking they had died too. When he arrived my uncle Steve was sitting on the edge of his bed and playing with a toy. My grandmother was still ill but awake and her fever had broken.

    I was surprised with my mother’s story because over the years I’ve read and heard about the powers of onions when it comes to epidemics. Some people still put onions in each rooms of their homes. I checked it out on Snopes and this is what I found,

    Onions, for collecting the flu virus:

    “In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

    The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn’t believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and placed it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the virus,
    therefore, keeping the family healthy.

    Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work.. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

    The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

    If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case..

    Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!”

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/onions-fight-flu-myth/

    • Whyte Owen March 14, 2020

      And, of course, the doc had an electron microscope in his bag to see those teeny viruses.

      • George Hollister March 14, 2020

        Skunk spray would work better. The recipe is simple: One squirt daily on your head, along with regular hand washing, and no touching your face. What this guarantees is no one will want to get close enough to you transmit the virus, and you won’t pick it up from a touched surface either. You might find you have Costco all to yourself.

  5. Harvey Reading March 14, 2020

    TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS NEWS CONFERENCE/EMERGENCY DECLARATION

    Do you have an English translation of his words?

  6. Lazarus March 14, 2020

    CNN and others are reporting, Google has no plans for an immediate Coronavirus web site, WTF!
    It just gets weirder and weirder…
    As always,
    Laz

    • James Marmon March 14, 2020

      “CNN and others are reporting” What else would you expect from all these fake news sites? I expect better from you Laz.

      “Google is going to develop a website — it’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past — to determine if a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” Trump said

      “We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing,” Google’s communications team tweeted Friday afternoon following the president’s press conference. “Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.”

      https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/google-creating-coronavirus-site-to-help-find-testing.html

      James Marmon MSW

      • James Marmon March 14, 2020

        Pence just stated that google announced that they will be rolling out their web-site on Monday, March 16th. That’s pretty immediate.

      • Lazarus March 14, 2020

        ” I expect better from you Laz.”

        Yeah, James, that’s why at the VP presser the media was all over him about the Google deal.
        James, this was a major F**K up…again. Obviously, someone, (either Trump or Google) dealer choice, was totally out of the loop.
        Laz

    • George Hollister March 14, 2020

      Maybe Google thought they had no immediate plans, but, as of yesterday, they do now.

  7. Steve Heilig March 14, 2020

    The “Stanford” COVID-19 info above is not from Stanford, contains bad info, and has been denounced by Stanford as, well, Fake News.

    The UCSF Page is good: https://www.ucsf.edu/coronavirus#tabs-1

    • AVA News Service Post author | March 14, 2020

      Thanks, Steve. We’ve updated accordingly…

  8. Bill Pilgrim March 14, 2020

    Who could’ve foreseen the collapse of the empire would be hastened by a microscopic invader?

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      I think that the collapse of the empire is caused by greed, corruption and a lack of common sense by the general public.

  9. Joe March 14, 2020

    I’m wondering if some of you think that if Hillary was elected the Corona virus would have been stopped dead in it’s tracks? With trump derangement syndrome on full display here how many of you think that open borders would help contain the virus? Do you think that having China deliver %90 of our medicine, (and everything else), is a good thing? Do we have plenty of health care in this county to allow anyone on the planet who decides to walk across our border free health care? How many hospital beds do we have again? The only thing that will save Americans is if they not only become more nationalistic, they must become more localistic to survive in the future, especially here in rural Mendocino county. This is not a right vs left thing this is becoming a survival thing.

  10. Joe March 14, 2020

    How to survive the Corona Virus;

    Stay the F*&K home!

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      Your body is 98.6 and the virus is very happy with that temp.

  11. Steve Heilig March 14, 2020

    Here’s what the nation’s biggest scientific association feels about Trump’s non-response, and gutting of preparedness – it’s scathing (as they’ve been on his climate ignorance):
    https://science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6483/1169

    It’s not a right v. left thing, but an expertise v. incompetence and corruption thing. We’ve got the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      If you look at the big picture the U.S. response was about par with western countries. There have only actually been a few countries that have been outstanding in their response. South Korea stands out of the bunch as does Singapore . Politicians walk a tight rope in shutting down their economies and fighting the virus, China is an example. Trump was slow out the gate but now he has delegated the responsibility and he really isn’t the main focus of the fight. He has made some bad moves but he has recently made some really good ones by getting rid of much of the red tape and allowing States and local governments more latitude in fighting the virus. Drive through testing is now in progress in N.Y. as was done in South Korea. Getting the FDA to fast track a vaccine may or may not pan out, we will see. The article you reference is opinion, just like this is.

  12. Eric Sunswheat March 14, 2020

    RE: Virus and onion. Facts (and Myths) About Boosting Your Immune System.

    ———-> March 12, 2020 7:56 pm ET
    • Eat plenty of plain yogurt every day. “It’s really an easy way to boost your probiotics and help support your microbiome,” Dr. Katz says. “It helps to support the good bacteria that live in your body, which help to fight bad bacteria or viruses.”…

    Other foods that can help support the microbiome include garlic, onion, ginger, sauerkraut and fermented foods, says Dr. Bradley.

    • Watch your diet. Stick to a healthful, balanced diet filled with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting enough zinc and vitamin D and other important vitamins and minerals.

    Most experts say you should be able to get enough of these vitamins and minerals through your diet, and extra supplementation isn’t necessary.

    But because vitamin D deficiency is relatively common, experts do recommend supplementation if levels are low.

    Dr. Bradley recommends eating lots of dark green, leafy vegetables and berries, as well as nuts and seeds, and to minimize foods with sugar and trans fats, which aren’t as nutrient-dense.

    Your immune system needs fuel, so avoid ultralow-carbohydrate diets, experts say. In addition, drink lots of water and reduce alcohol consumption, which can disrupt your sleep.
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/facts-and-myths-about-boosting-your-immune-system-11584050588

  13. Kathleen Craig March 14, 2020

    Please post corrections right next to the incorrect text or the “crossed out” bits? For instance, next to the incorrect text you’ve “crossed out” about drinking water somehow being protection against the Coronavirus, which it is not, please post this link to Snopes fact checking site:

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/drinking-water-prevent-coronavirus/

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      Snopes is for dopes

    • Eric Sunswheat March 14, 2020

      RE: …drinking water somehow being protection against the Coronavirus

      ———-> Updated: March 13, 2020, 10:52 p.m
      https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/government/coronavirus-and-drinking-water/

      The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the, “presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.”

      Additionally, according to the CDC, COVID-19 is mainly thought to spread between people who are in close contact with one another.

      EPA recommends that citizens continue to use and drink tap water as usual. At this time, there are no indications that COVID-19 is in the drinking water supply or will affect the reliable supply of water.

      For more information and updates please see:
      •https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater
      •https://www.asdwa.org/covid19/

  14. michael turner March 14, 2020

    I have no idea how one could conclude that the “big picture” shows our response is on par with European countries. Albania maybe, otherwise we’re still flailing. The comparative numbers will be telling in the end, sort of a judgement day for the health care systems around the world. We’ll soon see if our mortality figures support that oft-repeated claim that ours is the best medical system in the world. And only a die-hard believer could describe anything he’s done sooner or later as “really good moves”. His public statements in the past few days show that his attempts to calm the public only display lack of ability, education, and capacity. That’s not just the judgement of the majority of Americans, it’s the judgement of Wall Street. Michael Turner MD

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      You seem to making this virus some sort of personal trait of the President, it isn’t. There are many thousands of people on the front lines of this who have nothing to do with the president and have much more to do with solving the problems. The Federal government, not just the President, is bringing nothing short of war on this in terms of resorces. If you look at metrics in terms of cases/deaths we are doing better than Italy, Spain at the moment, we will see if it stays that way. The U.K. has decided to just let the virus run it’s course, we will see how that turns out. The individual states and counties in this country will tell more of the outcome than the federal government in any case although we need the money/help, whatever we can get.

    • Joe March 14, 2020

      As deaths, and ICU admissions, continued to skyrocket in Italy…

      Whoa- Critical care ICU rate in Italy for #COVID19 556/3420 ➡️ ?16%?! In China it was just 5%. We are now realizing the virus could be even worse than expected. Very concerning with these Italy data published in JAMA. https://t.co/gDpsEb7Sz2 pic.twitter.com/B783DYYKd6
      — Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 14, 2020

  15. George Hollister March 14, 2020

    What we are seeing with this corona virus pandemic is a good government response. There are the inevitable government screw ups, but those screw ups are being dealt with daily. If these failings are not adequately confronted, everyone will see, and there will be a political price paid. Pretty much as is seen in war. Too bad the rest of our government isn’t run with this degree of accountability. It is amazing how well government works when there is a clearly defined problem, and a clearly defined outcome that almost everyone understands, and is on board with. The metrics for success? Everyone understands those, too.

  16. Stephen Rosenthal March 14, 2020

    Seems to me our society has been practicing social distancing since the advent of the smartphone.

  17. Aaron Sawyer March 14, 2020

    I’ve heard that Coast Hospital has two ventilators. The ER already has a number of people who want to be tested but won’t be because they can’t name someone who they came into contact with who also has tested positive.

    Also the County Health Department saying no confirmed cases without saying how many people have been tested so far and have gotten negative results shows a lack of leadership and/or forthrightness on their part.

  18. Eric Sunswheat March 15, 2020

    Old Howard Hospital in Willits may reopen for Coronavirus.

    Attention: Tom Allman to Governor Newsome, Sacramento.

    • Lazarus March 15, 2020

      My source near Adventist Health is saying they have already put up temporary structures at the new hospital in Willits if needed, for the possible overflow due to Coronavirus.

      And I would imagine Newsome is a little busy right now to be taking a call from someone in Mendocino County. Things would have to get a lot worse, and if that’s the case, all bets are off…in my opinion of course.
      As always,
      Laz

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