El Dorado County COVID-19 Digest

El Dorado County Public Health officials are reminding residents and visitors to remain vigilant against COVID-19 exposure. Although infection levels are finally on the decline, ongoing virus transmission is likely to continue.

Although COVID-19 cases in California have started to plateau, some may face another infection as new variants spread. UC Davis infectious disease specialist Dr. Natascha Tuznik talks about reinfection, and if repeated bouts can worsen health risks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to the first COVID-19 test that detects chemicals associated with the coronavirus in breath. The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer gives results in less than three minutes.

California is delaying a coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren until at least the summer of 2023. The state was the first to announce a mandate, but it will not take effect until federal regulators give final approval to the vaccine for children.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, telehealth visits in California increased by 61 percent, with one in five patient visits now being conducted remotely. But how long will this major boost to telehealth services last?

For the first time in more than two years, UC Davis Health said its hospital had no COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit for two consecutive days, and other local hospitals said their ICUs had seen a similar trend.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to forgive the 53 small business loans it gave to local businesses during the height of COVID-19 shutdowns. The largest loan was for $15,000, and the total that would have been collected, had the city opted to require paybacks, would have been under $400,000.

El Dorado County Superior Court has issued a preliminary injunction for Apple Bistro to cease operations until it obtains a health permit. The bistro’s permit was revoked in 2020 due to noncompliance with COVID-19 restrictions.

On Feb. 16, California officials said that the state’s long-range plan for COVID-19 will focus on flexible responses to future variants and shift from an emergency mindset into one that assumes coexistence with the virus.

El Dorado Union High School District issued a statement to parents saying the district will change its mask protocol, saying enforcement will involve educating students “but no further action of exclusion from class will be taken.”

El Dorado County supervisors voted 3-2 to work on COVID-19 community recovery with a Texas-based health consulting company. The county agreed to pay $248,864 from county coronavirus responses and relief funds, which need to be spent by May 2023.

Some parents of students enrolled at Buckeye Elementary School have been demonstrating against COVID-19 mandates in front of the campus. A smaller group took things further and protested in front of an administrator’s house.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District closed all eight of its campuses Jan. 13-14 due to widespread COVID-19 infections among students and staff.

As the omicron COVID-19 variant continues to spread through California, many are using over-the-counter testing kits. If you test positive, what do you do with your result?

U.S. health officials have lowered isolation restrictions from 10 to five days for patients with coronavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance reflects evidence that people are most infectious two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

El Dorado County confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in mid December. This comes as no surprise as the variant has now reached over 25 states, with its first U.S. detection in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Two counties have asked for religious and personal belief exemptions for the student COVID-19 vaccination mandate to stay valid when the mandate takes place next year.

Placerville city staff presented the City Council with an appropriation plan for $890,166 in American Rescue Plan Act funds that includes vehicles and equipment for the police department, fuel reduction on city property, a marketing plan, and a sewer and water bill assistance program.

Pinochle, bridge, bingo, Zumba and line dancing are all happening once again at the Gilmore Senior Center in El Dorado Hills. The facility reopened Sept. 1 after an 18-month hiatus.

Canceled in 2020 and then pushed from June to September by COVID-19, the El Dorado County Fair has now been called off for 2021 due to the Caldor Fire.

California has some of the most extensive workplace vaccine requirements in the nation, but they don’t cover every industry. Some advocates say the state should expand its vaccine mandates to certain industries.

A Harvard University study found evidence linking smoke from wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington in 2020 to rising COVID cases and deaths. They said that fine particulate matter acts as a vehicle for spreading infection and makes existing cases worse.

The website is posting a weekly Friday wrap-up of COVID-19 statistics for counties around Lake Tahoe.

Around Lake Tahoe and its surrounding communities, business owners are feeling the labor shortage pinch, with help wanted ads unanswered and interviews unattended.

Low-income Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal have been vaccinated at far lower rates than the overall population. About 45 percent of eligible Medi-Cal enrollees had received at least one dose as of July 18, compared to about 70 percent of all eligible Californians, state officials said.

Coronavirus cases are rising on both sides of the state line, including some involving the Delta variant. El Dorado County is advising the unvaccinated to maintain similar protocols as when COVID first appeared in the US.

As the number of cases of COVID begin to rise in California again, a new UC Davis study shows that people have become desensitized and disinterested in following public health guidelines. The UC Davis researchers hopes their study can help with public outreach before COVID-19 again reaches crisis levels.

Though they expressed concern over the language in a resolution offered by District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo, his colleagues on the El Dorado Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to support residents who oppose mask mandates, especially for schoolchildren.

Hundreds of young people gathered to sell their animals at the 2021 Junior Livestock Auction, with a jam-packed crowd bidding to support local Future Farmers of America and 4-H programs. In 2020, the event was held online, due to the pandemic.

Citing safety concerns, the Placerville City Council agreed to allow temporary outdoor dining permits granted during the pandemic to expire.

“The pandemic has significantly impacted business revenues, costs and the value of property used for business,” said County Assessor Karl Weiland.

Noting that pandemic concerns “are not yet completely in the rear-view mirror,” the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority has opted to cancel the 2021 Fourth of July “Lights on the Lake” fireworks.