In California’s north state, residents have a clear message for people in the Bay Area and Sacramento during the coronavirus pandemic: Don’t come here.

“People shouldn’t be leaving their counties,” said Matt Romaine of Weaverville, who helps run several now-closed recreation properties. “We’re opposed to people coming in from outside areas that have higher infection rates.”

Across seven counties between Redding and the Oregon border, which many call the Shasta-Cascade region, there have been only 10 positive tests for the coronavirus and one death, according to each county’s respective health department. Four counties, Trinity, Modoc, Lassen and Tehama, have reported zero cases. The low numbers of cases could be attributed to few tests being administered, health officials said.

The prospect of escaping from coronavirus clusters in the Bay Area and Central Valley might inspire some people to venture north into one of the top outdoor recreation areas in the U.S. But the consensus across the region is to stay away.

“I’m real firm about it,” said Dave Marshall a retired forester in McCloud. “The best minds say, ‘Shelter in place,’ so you should stay home.”

Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen and northern Plumas, which together span more than 27,000 square miles, which would rank it as the 41st largest state in the U.S. Yet the collective population is only 364,300, far less less than the population of Wyoming (579,000), the least populated state in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In the past week, the lack of traffic on the highways, and closed restaurants and small stores in small towns, is like nothing many have ever seen across the region, residents say. To further discourage visitors, Lake Siskiyou Resort and Marina chained the entrance and closed the facility to the public on Wednesday.

“Our streets are empty,” said Dave Hicks, an attorney-mediator in Dunsmuir.

“I’m staying home and so should they,” meaning people from the Bay Area, Hicks said. “People in small towns tend to look out for each other. Right now, they’re not going to be welcoming tourists. Tourism needs to be ended until we get over this COVID crisis.”

Trinity County has a population of only 14,000, yet spans 3,208 square miles roughly half the size of the greater Bay Area. Tourists are often welcomed in Weaverville and the nearby lakes, Lewiston and Trinity, and at the trailheads for the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Romaine said. Not now.

“It’s a different time right now,” Romaine said. “It’s really strange and everybody says you’ve got to be real careful. As a resident, I don’t leave here except for essentials. We don’t people to stay out forever, but if somebody showed up (from the Bay Area or Sacramento), we’d expect each person to adhere to a 14-day quarantine.

“I’m being responsible and I want everybody else to be that way. My circle is a total of three people right now. As a Trinity County resident, I feel like I’m in a time bubble.”

Doug Carter, an inspirational business trainer in the town of Mount Shasta, suggested that people in cities who feel cooped up could create what they need without traveling to the North State.

“Everybody should deal with what they’ve got, right where they’re at,” Carter said. “A lot of people who visit Mount Shasta are searching for something. When you’re on the right path, you can find what you’re looking for in your own world, rather than looking for it in someone else’s.”

Tom Stienstra is The Chronicle’s outdoor writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @StienstraTom.

Coronavirus testing in the Shasta-Cascade region

Trinity County: 44 tests, 0 positives. Population 14,000, size 3,208 square miles.

Modoc County: 31 tests, 0 positives, 24 negatives, 7 pending. Population 9,600, size 4,203 square miles.

Siskiyou County: 82 tests, 3 positives, 69 negatives, 10 pending. Population 43,700, size 6,278 square miles.

Shasta County: 236 tests results, 6 positives, 1 death, 230 negatives, pending test results unknown. Population 180,000, size 3,847 miles.

Lassen County: 41 tests, 0 positives, 33 negatives, 8 pending. Population 31,000, size 4,720 square miles.

Tehama County: 0 positives, 93 negatives. Population 64,000, size 2,962 square miles.

Plumas County: 54 tests, 1 positive, 42 negatives, 11 pending. Population 22,000, size 2,163 square miles.

Totals: 581 tests, 10 positives, 1 death, 535 negatives, pending unknown

Total population: 364,300

Total square miles: 27,381

Note: Best numbers available April 1 from each county’s respective health services department and the U.S. Census Bureau