Frequently asked questions

 On April 16, 2020, Dr. Korver, the Lassen County Health Officer, Lassen County’s Public Health Department and law enforcement agencies remind everyone to continue practicing protective measures whether you are enjoying the outdoors or are in town on an essential trip. After making great strides in slowing infection rates and bending the curve these past weeks, we cannot let our guard down against this virus. Therefore, to exercise or recreate close to home while following essential safety and social distancing laws.

The Lassen County’s Public Health Department and law enforcement agencies urge residents to recreate close to home and minimize contact with others. It is important to use good personal protective measures while recreating: avoid recreating in groups, maintain social distancing of 6 feet at all times, avoid crowded areas like trailheads and parking lots, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer often. In short, enjoy the outdoors but do it in a safe, isolated, and individual manner. If you are not a resident of Lassen County, please do not come to Lassen County to recreate until this crisis is over and the Governor’s March 19, 2020 Stay-at-Home order has been rescinded.

• Snow sports - Practice snow sports and activities like snowmobiling or cross country skiing individually or in small household groups. Avoid other groups and observe strict social distancing at trailheads, picnic areas and parking area

• Court sports - Avoid any activity with shared equipment. Basketball, tennis, pickle ball are all high risk activities where it is nearly impossible to avoid close contact with others. These activities should be avoided.

• Boating and fishing - Follow all state regulations for safe and legal activities. Avoid crowded boat ramps or fishing areas. Find another place to recreate if you don’t have several yards between you and your neighbor.

• Camping and RV Parks - Unless you are an essential worker performing essential duties, congregate camping is not permitted. Do not bring your RV or come to Lassen County to camp. If you have a seasonal RV at a local park, keep it vacant until it is safe to use it.

• Hiking, biking and horseback riding - Avoid crowded trailheads. If you meet someone on a trail, don’t stop to talk. Give plenty of space to allow passing at a safe distance.

In summary, if you are not in already in Lassen County, please do not come here. Everyone can walk, run, hike and bike in their local community, and nearby forests. When the COVID-19 crisis is over, we will be happy to share our beautiful county with you but until then, please exercise and recreate close to home.

Health Professionals, California Needs You!

To ensure adequate staff for health care sites throughout  California, we’re calling on healthcare providers, behavioral health  professionals, and health care administrators to register today.  

We need:

• Physicians (MD, DO), including medical residents
• Pharmacists
• Dentists
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Nurses (RN, LVN, CNA), including nursing students
• Behavioral  health professionals (psychiatrist,  psychiatric technicians  psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC)
• Respiratory therapists
• Paramedics
• Medical assistants
• Emergency medical technicians

For more information or to register, click here. 

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has released models and projections assuming full social distracting through May 2020.  

Updated Daily

Click here for projections for hospital resource use, deaths per day, and total deaths

"Many residents have concerns about our rural county’s response to meet the recommendations for social distancing. The Modoc County Sheriff’s Department released the attached infographic entitled, Fun Things that the Social Distancing Scoreboard doesn’t not take into account for Rural Counties. It explains, “In some rural counties, essential employees account for 75% of the workforce, so very little would change in their day to day patterns.” Emergency Services, Local Government, and State and Federal Institutions make up the vast majority of employment in Lassen County. Most of these workers have been reclassified to different positions within the emergency structure while others continuing to work through these extraordinary circumstances. As the infographic states, “Many people carry a work phone and a personal phone which will look like they are socializing but in fact are not.” - Lassen County COVID-19 Incident Command

Lassen County Press Release: 

Lassen County COVID-19 IC Press Release - 3.30.20

A novel coronavirus means it is new. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans causing mild illness, like the common cold. 

SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness. It can spread from person-to-person. It mainly spreads, by droplets from coughing and sneezing. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel (new). It was first identified during an outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) named it. ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.”

SOURCES: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf and  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe illness with symptoms of

• fever
• cough
• shortness of breath

Experts are still learning about illnesses caused by COVID-19. Symptoms have ranged from those like a common cold to severe pneumonia. Some people have been hospitalized. Deaths have been reported mainly in older adults or those who have other health problems.

SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html

Food service is shifting to Take-Out and Delivery Only.  Please see the Lassen County Environmental Health Departments guidance. 

Emergency warning signs include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

The time between exposure and symptoms is 2-14 days. To be safe, exposed people are asked to stay away from others for 14 days.

SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html