Yolo County officials held a news conference on Thursday to confirm a case of COVID-19. This is the first case in the county.
Dr. Ron Chapman, Yolo County Public Health Officer, said the patient is an older female with underlying health conditions. She is currently hospitalized and is "doing well." Chapman said it appears that she acquired the disease through community transmission, which she didn't have any high-risk factors for the illness and picked it up somewhere in the area where she lives.
"Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world, I am not surprised that the virus is in our county," said Chapman. "Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation driving fear in our communities. We will continue to provide COVID-19 education, support, and advice to the community while using appropriate measures to protect the public’s health."
Yolo County Emergency Services Manager Dana Carey noted that officials are issuing two proclamations, a local health emergency and a local emergency. The local health emergency proclamation may open additional resources while the local emergency proclamation may open funding, both will provide tools for the County to effectively manage the situation.
The county is reportedly prepared to manage this confirmed case and has been partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, local jurisdictions, and health care providers.