Information provided by County of San Benito
In an Aug. 27 press release, Public Health services urged the community to stop social gatherings.
San Benito County Public Health Services has been working around the clock to provide the community with guidance and recommendations regarding social distancing and other effective ways to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, since July 31, 2020, SBC has seen a 44% increase in COVID-19 cases thus far. This increase in cases is in part due to community members not practicing social distancing, continuing to mix households and continuing to have social gatherings such as family barbecues, pool parties, adolescent and youth mixers. These gatherings are continuing to occur adding to the significant increase in cases in San Benito County.
Young people infected with the virus can be “super spreaders” as they are often asymptomatic, with mild symptoms that may go undetected. “Younger people who have no symptoms, will eventually interact with their parents and grandparents and could unknowingly spread the disease. We continue to find that people continue to partake in social events where they expose more and more people. When we think about that person-to-person web of spread, it grows wider as does the infection rate in San Benito County,” stated Lynn Mello, Deputy Director of San Benito County Public Health Services.
“In order to get off the state’s monitoring list and reopen San Benito County, we need the cooperation of the community to stop the spread and decrease our number of cases,” stated Tracey Belton, Director of San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency. “We ask that people do not to mix with others outside their home and practice physical distancing. That cannot be emphasized enough.”
If you have signs or symptoms of COVID-19, please seek care from your medical provider or contact the hospital emergency department. If you are concerned about a close exposure (less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) and would like to be tested, wait 7-14 days after the last exposure and seek testing at the OptumServe testing site in Hollister. https://lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123.
For more information about COVID-19, go to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/