Marin health officials issued a local health emergency proclamation Tuesday to prepare for impacts associated with the coronavirus that has raised concerns worldwide.
There have been no cases of coronavirus among Marin residents, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services said. However, last week, a coronavirus patient who was quarantined at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County was transferred to Kaiser Permanente hospital in San Rafael. That patient, who is not a resident of Marin, was among the passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
“This declaration is about preparedness,” Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer said in a statement. “Our (coronavirus) preparation is bringing together partners from across the community, in public health, first responders, our hospitals and health care workers, our schools and businesses. As we allocate more resources to protect residents, this will help ensure we have the support we need.”
In declaring a local emergency, Marin County joins a growing number of Bay Area jurisdictions taking similar action, including San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, Solano, and Sonoma counties, to respond to the burgeoning global issue. The county’s proclamation better positions officials for a response to the coronavirus, if needed, while preserving the county’s ability to recover any related costs from state or federal sources, officials said.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the local health emergency proclamation along with a companion local state of emergency proclamation to make it official.
After approval, the proclamations would be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Office of Emergency Services for consideration to request mutual aid.
“As the epidemic spreads globally, we’re prioritizing local readiness,” Benita McLarin, director of Marin HHS said in a statement. “This declaration will allow even stronger interagency collaboration.”
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Jan. 30, and the United States followed the next day by declaring a federal public health emergency.
On Feb. 26, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed community transmission of coronavirus in the Bay Area, meaning the afflicted patient had no signs of associating with anyone who had been diagnosed with the virus.
In a statement, Dr. Lisa Santora, deputy public health officer, said its especially important to protect Marin seniors.
“Nearly one of three Marin residents is over age 60,” she said. “Older adults and those with other existing medical vulnerabilities are at the greatest risk for severe disease if infected with (coronavirus).”
