May 12: Mono County Weekly
Six new cases of COVID-19 prevent Mono County from reopening businesses; State projections increase with movement around the state
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Journalism at its best and most effective is education. Apparently people would not learn for themselves, nor from others. — Martha Gellhorn
Six new cases of COVID-19 prevent Mono County from reopening
Mono County reported six new positive cases of the coronavirus in the week ending on May 10, which disqualifies the county from moving forward in stage two according to the state’s criteria.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, Mono County Public Health Officer Dr. Tom Boo said that he “is concerned about the number of new cases and complete investigation is essential.”
The new cases, which are all in the Mammoth area, were identified through contact tracing. All of the patients were asymptomatic and none have been hospitalized.
Last week the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced readiness criteria for regional variances to move forward in stage two, which includes retail businesses and restaurant table service.
One of the criteria for local variance is no more than one case per 10,000 people within 14 days of attestation. With a population of 14,000 residents and now eight positive cases in the past two weeks, that puts Mono County at five times the state limit.
But before the recent cases were confirmed, the Mono County Board of Supervisors had agreed to ask the state for a variance, even though it did not qualify at that time either.
“The mountains are calling, and our visitors are coming, whether we’re open or not,” Supervisor Stacy Corless wrote to the governor. “We need to be able to manage the visitation that is happening now and prepare for the bigger numbers of vacationers that we can expect when Yosemite National Park and other attractions open.”
Now with the new cases, Supervisor Corless says that asking for a variance is more complicated. But the uptick is not just in Mono County.
California reported more than 2,000 new cases and nearly 100 deaths over the weekend. Rising cases and deaths are outpacing previous projections.
Dr. Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington, told CBS “Face the Nation” on Sunday that projections are up because of an increase in movement.
“We’re seeing increases in mobility, in anticipation of the relaxation of social distancing,” Dr. Murray said. “There’s definitely a correlation. The places that are taking off the social distancing mandate, the bump in mobility appears to be larger.”
Dr. Boo is asking the community to keep in mind that the virus is still here in Mono County and reminding residents that more infections will occur as movement, business, and social activity increase.
The movement and increase of cases will only prolong reopening.
In truth, journalists from big coastal news media, with a few exceptions, have never done a good job of covering people in the vast middle of the country. —Joyce Dehli
State and Local Data as of May 10
California is currently reporting 67,939 total COVD-19 cases, 3,248 hospitalizations, and 2,770 deaths. As of May 10, health departments have reported 7,211 cases in health care workers and 40 deaths.
According to California Department of Health data, outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among.
Latinos account for nearly 23,000 positive cases, more than 50 percent, but only 38 percent of the population. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories.
Mono County says that it has not taken ethnic data. The county is currently reporting one death from the coronavirus, 32 positive cases, 304 negative; a total of 337 tests have been administered.
Inyo County, which includes Toiyabe Indian Healthcare Project, is currently reporting one death, 19 confirmed positive cases of the coronavirus, 335 negative, 9 tests pending, and 363 total tests administered.
This week in Mono County
Tuesday, May 12: Mammoth Lakes Tourism Special Board Meeting at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 12: Town of Mammoth Lakes Special Town Council Meeting at 4:30 pm
Wednesday, May 13: North County Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. Zoom: 992 7272 9245
Tuesday, May 15: Mono County Board of Supervisors, Special Meeting 10 a.m.
Thursday, May 14: Ongoing community meetings are scheduled weekly on Thursdays in English at 5:30 p.m., and in Spanish at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Daily: If you need someone to talk to, Mono County Behavioral Health counselors are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (760) 924-1740
Recommended Reading
Local: “The Path to Reopening Mono County. Which Way to Mammoth Lake?”
This is nuts and Fun: “Run 100 Miles, 100 Times, in 100 Weeks. Now in a Brooklyn Apartment.” by Christopher Solomon for the The New York Times
The Essay We all Need: “Fuck the Bread. The Bread is Over.” by Sabrina Orah Mark for The Paris Review.
It is evident all things in nature have a clear relationship to one another and that the questioning spirit resists being denied what it can attain. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Monica Prelle is a Mammoth Lakes-based journalist currently reporting on COVID-19.