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Update, 3:45 p.m. Friday, March 6

The first two Shasta County residents to be tested for the novel coronavirus had negative tests come back Friday.

Tim Mapes, a spokesman for the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, confirmed that both residents are not sick with the virus and no new tests are being administered.

At least one of the two people tested had recently been on a cruise that could have exposed him or her to the virus. The other person met medical criteria for testing, Mapes said.

While other people in the community have quarantined themselves after possible exposure, they weren't showing symptoms that warranted testing.

There's some more local good news on the coronavirus front.

Friday also marks the day Shasta County Public Health started being able to test patients locally, Mapes said. Before, tests had to be sent off to the California Department of Public Health.

Once the county got test kits, officials had to make sure they were in working order before using them, and now they're ready to go. In fact, one of the two specimens that came back negative was tested locally, Mapes said.

"You're able to know if you have a case or not sooner ... which is just going to help," Mapes said.

If anyone tests positive locally, Mapes said it would still be considered "presumptive" until the specimen could be sent off for verification, though.

As for when the public is notified of a suspected illness, Mapes said the county makes that call on a case-by-case basis.

"It stems back to the risk to the community or if we needed to try to identify people who were in a public place," he said.

Original story

Two people have been tested this week for the novel coronavirus in Shasta County, but there have been no confirmed cases of the virus, according to the Shasta County Health Department.

At least one of the people being tested recently returned from an overseas cruise, but health department spokesman Tim Mapes said he did not know the circumstances of what led to the other person being tested.

"We do know some individual in Shasta County that potentially had contact involving that cruise ship and they met the criteria for doing a test," Mapes said.

He said he could not divulge too much information about the people being tested because of patient privacy.

He said his office is taking the threat of coronavirus seriously and is working with local health professionals.

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"It's a public health concern because we know, just like the flu, people can have serious health consequences from it," he said.

It takes about 48 hours to get results from a coronavirus test, he said. The California Department of Public Health lab received the specimen for the first test earlier this week.

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The second specimen is from the person who traveled on a cruise ship. The test consists of a mouth swab, he said.

While awaiting results, medical providers provide the patients "with the appropriate level of care," he said.

Mapes said he did not know the current status of the two people who were tested, or whether they were quarantined until test results were returned. However, the health department has remained in contact with the two individuals, he said.

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Those most at risk from the disease include the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and people with underlying health problems, he said.

He said the health department has been in contact with medical providers in the community to offer them assistance.

The health department also has been in contact with nursing homes and care homes in Shasta County, not just about the coronavirus but also the flu.

"We know for a fact it's been a pretty bad flu season. It is a concern because people in those facilities are most at risk," Mapes said.

The death toll nationwide from the coronavirus was 11 as of Thursday, with 10 of them in Washington state, where 70 people have been reported with the disease.

There have been 51 cases in King County, Washington, which includes Seattle. Many of the cases stemmed from an outbreak at Life Care Center, a nursing and rehabilitation center in Kirkland, Washington, according to USA TODAY.

California has 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The first person in California to die from the virus was an elderly patient from Placer County who contracted the illness on a cruise, according to the Associated Press.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency as six new cases, including a medical screener at Los Angeles International Airport, were confirmed.

The governor said an emergency declaration would help them prepare for a possible outbreak, the AP said.

In light of the outbreak in Washington, the state is particularly focused on senior centers, nursing homes and other care facilities where people live together, Newsom said.

Marquis Shasta, a rehabilitation and long-term care center in Redding and Oak River short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing center in Anderson, both displayed signs on their front doors asking sick people to avoid visiting.

The sign at Marquis asked people with a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or known exposure to coronavirus "to refrain from visiting."

The sign on the front door of Oak River said they are experiencing a flu outbreak and staff was screening visitors. Those under 18 were not allowed to visit, the sign said.

Heather Villanueva, a spokesman for Marquis, said the care facility was being extra vigilant.

"It's a full-court press, in terms of handling what's going on," Villanueva said. "After what happened in Washington, everyone is concerned."

Staff at Marquis is screening all visitors to our facilities and visitation hours are restricted to the hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"We can work with residents' family and friends on alternative ways to connect with loved ones via phone, email, Skype or FaceTime," Villanueva said.

Mercy Medical Center in Redding set up screening stations at the entrance to the hospital's emergency room and main entrance. Hospital spokeswoman Allison Hendrickson said those were set up this week to deal with possible coronavirus cases.

The hospital also set up a tent outside the emergency room to increase capacity in the event of a patient surge and segregate patients with respiratory illnesses from others in the ER, Hendrickson said in a Facebook post.

"At this time, the tent is not being used for patient care and is only a precautionary measure," she said.

Monitors at the screening stations ask visitors questions about whether they have been exposed to coronavirus or if they have symptoms.

"Those questions help us determine if someone might be sick, limiting potential contamination," Hendrickson said.

Brian J. Martin, general manager of the River Commons Senior Living center in Redding, said they have tried to remain vigilant about the coronavirus, especially since assisted living center caters to the elderly.

"It's something we definitely recognize and take very seriously," Martin said, noting the oldest patient at the center is 102 years old, he said.

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The staff uses special cleaners designed to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces. Residents are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and extra hand sanitizing stations have been placed around the facility to prevent spread of disease.

And when residents aren't feeling well they are encouraged to stay in their apartments, where the staff brings them meals, he said.

He said the facility has stocked up on some dry goods and other supplies in case the virus causes a break in the supply chain. If there was an outbreak, residents would be served meals in their rooms rather than communally, he said.

Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!