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El Centro Regional Medical Center officials announced they received a patient who met the criteria of coronavirus Sunday morning. The patient is a female in her 70s who returned from a trip to Florida and was complaining of side pains. The hospital followed protocols by the California Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and the patient was masked and isolated, the hospital said in a press release. The test results will take 48 hours to complete.
This comes during the same week that Imperial County declared an emergency due to the coronavirus.
The declaration of a local health emergency will be placed on the agenda for the next Imperial County Board of Supervisor Meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, for ratification. Although Imperial County is not currently experiencing the spread of novel coronavirus disease in the community, the declaration and proclamation will allow local officials to take the steps necessary to effectively mobilize and deploy resources in response to COVID-19.
Chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors and District 2 Supervisor Luis A. Plancarte stated, “The health and safety of the residents of Imperial County are of primary concern to our board and County staff. We will utilize all the resources and assistance available to protect our community.”
Dr. Stephen Munday, County Health Officer stated, “This declaration is an important and necessary step as we prepare to respond to novel coronavirus disease in our community. This important step will allow local officials to request support from local, regional, state, and federal agencies and ensures that local health professionals and stakeholders have the necessary tools at their disposal to respond to this evolving threat.”
The Imperial County Public Health Department is collaborating closely with federal, state and local officials in addition to health officials from Baja California to assure healthcare providers, and community members have the most updated information in order to make informed decisions for their agencies. The situation with COVID-19 is very fluid and changing daily.
The Imperial County Public Health Department will be sharing weekly updates every Thursday afternoon via its department website, social media platforms and email distribution to provide a situation update to media, community partners and community members. These updates will be maintained until further notice.
So far Riverside County and San Diego County have also declared a health emergency.
