Mendocino County discourages large gatherings amid COVID-19 surge

MATT PERA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

For information about how to schedule a vaccine in Sonoma County, go here.

To track coronavirus cases in Sonoma County, across California, the United States and around the world, go here.

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Mendocino County's top health official issued an advisory on Wednesday urging people to avoid large gatherings as coronavirus cases skyrocket.

The guidance issued by Dr. Andrew Coren, the county’s health officer, is a recommendation and not a legally enforceable public health order.

It discourages gatherings of more than 12 people when anyone at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 is present. The advisory says high-risk people include pregnant women, the elderly and people with medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, compromised immune systems and kidney or heart problems.

All indoor gatherings of more than 50 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people should be canceled if attendees cannot maintain at least 6 feet of distance from each other, the advisory says.

The guidance does not apply to school classes, work, courthouses, places of worship, cafeterias or “any venue that is open to public circulation as part of its regular operations such as shopping malls, stores and museums.”

The advisory recommends screening attendees at any gathering for recent exposure to and symptoms of COVID-19. Attendees should be limited to those who have been vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19 within the past one to three days.

The advisory comes amid the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in Mendocino County.

The county reported 387 active coronavirus cases on Tuesday, which represents more than four times the number of cases two and a half weeks ago on Christmas Day, according to the advisory.

Health officials attributed the rapid rise in cases to the omicron variant, which is “more transmissible than previous variants and more apt to evade immunity from a past COVID infection or vaccination,” according to the advisory.

“Case numbers are also rising much more rapidly than during previous surges, while hospitals are nearing full capacity,” the advisory says.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.

For information about how to schedule a vaccine in Sonoma County, go here.

To track coronavirus cases in Sonoma County, across California, the United States and around the world, go here.

For more stories about the coronavirus, go here.

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