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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2020



Contact: County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Center/Public Health Department 408-808-7863 pio@eoc.sccgov.org



COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA ISSUES ORDER TO CANCEL MASS GATHERINGS DUE TO INCREASING RATES OF COVID-19

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — In light of significantly increasing rates of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, the County’s Public Health Department is taking further steps to protect the health of our community.



Today, the Public Health Department is announcing a mandatory order issued by the Public Health Officer requiring the cancellation of mass gatherings in the County. This order will take effect at 12:00 a.m. on March 11, 2020 and will remain in place for three weeks as more wi​despread testing becomes available and we are able to learn more about the spread of COVID-19. We are also announcing new, stronger guidance for the general public and for many specific groups designed to reduce the spread of the virus in our community.



“This is a critical moment in the growing outbreak of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. The strong measures we are taking today are designed to slow the spread of disease,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer. “Today’s order and new recommendations will reduce the number of people who develop severe illness and will help prevent our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. This is critically important for anyone with healthcare needs, not just those most vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19.”



It is important that all individuals, including those who are not at higher risk for severe illness, follow this guidance. Even individuals who are not a higher risk can inadvertently transmit the virus to vulnerable people.



Earlier Monday, the Public Health Department announced the first death from COVID19 in the county. The person who passed away was an adult woman in her 60s, had been hospitalized for several weeks, and was the third case of COVID-19 reported by the County Public Health Department on February 28, 2020. She was the first person in the County confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 without any known history of international travel or contact with a traveler or infected person, suggesting she contracted COVID-19 in our community.



Six more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Monday in the County of Santa Clara, bringing the countywide total to 43.

For more information visit: www.sccphd.org/coronavirus

www.cdc.gov​

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