Placer County Confirms Second Coronavirus Case, Declares Local Health Emergency
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — The second case of coronavirus has been reported out of Placer County, one day after public health officials said a hospital worker tested positive.
According to Placer County Public Health, the new case is a "critically ill" older adult who was likely exposed to the virus while on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco to Mexico. Officials say the same cruise, which took place Feb. 11-21, is associated with a confirmed case of coronavirus in Sonoma County.
The Placer patient is in isolation at a Placer County hospital and officials say their close contacts are being quarantined as well.
Placer County's first confirmed case of coronavirus was announced Monday. The person who tested positive is a worker at the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital who had been in close contact with a woman who was later transferred to another hospital and tested positive for the virus. The patient is only showing mild symptoms and has been isolated at home.
Two other workers at the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital have tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. Both were also exposed to that patient. The NorthBay VacaValley Hospital staffers join the more than 120 other health care workers, including dozens of nurses at UC Davis Medical Center, who were ordered to undergo quarantine for exposure to the same patient.
Placer County officials declared a local health emergency on Tuesday "to ensure public health professionals have all necessary tools at their disposal to keep the community safe." Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson predicts there will be additional cases in the coming days, including community spread cases.
