According to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, head of the county Department of Public Health, one of the new cases is a person with a known travel history to Japan. But Ferrer said health officials cannot identify any known exposure to the illness for the second patient.
“Community transmission is when we cannot identify a known source of exposure,” Ferrer said. “… With all of our cases, we are doing extensive investigations and identifying all of their close contacts. With both of these cases, to date we have identified no significant public exposures, but both of our new cases do have exposures to people who are known. … The two cases are now in isolation and all of their close contacts are or will be quarantined for up to 14 days from their last date of exposure.”
With the county now confirming its first possible case of “community transmission,” Ferrer said people who are pregnant, have underlying health conditions or are elderly should immediately begin “social distancing practices.”
“This would include avoiding non-essential travel, avoiding public gatherings or places where large groups of people are congregating and avoiding event venues,” Ferrer said.
She said those three groups of people are in danger of becoming more seriously ill if they contract the virus.
The two new patients, who are in isolation, bring the county’s overall total to 16. The other cases are:
— eight people in the travel group to Italy;
— two contract employees who were conducting coronavirus medical screenings of arriving passengers at Los Angeles International Airport;
— two relatives of a person who lives outside the county and was also confirmed with the virus; and
— a person who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference in Washington, D.C.; and
— a traveler from the area of Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. That person, the county’s first patient, has since recovered.
Meanwhile, at Cal State Long Beach, university officials confirmed that 10 students are in self-quarantine after attending a “large event in Washington, D.C., at which three people subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.” The college did not specify the event or confirm if they also attended the AIPAC conference, at which at least two people subsequently tested positive.
CSULB officials said the students are not showing any symptoms of the illness and the university is “in ongoing communication with them and we are closely monitoring their health status.”
Ferrer noted that any travelers returning from Italy, South Korea, mainland China or Iran are still being asked “to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days upon their return to the United States.”
She also said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising that people not go on any cruises.
There have been 22 deaths from coronavirus in the United States, while more than 3,800 people have died worldwide.
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Make Coronavirus Great Again says
Face it AV, you voted for the morons who have since sentenced all of you to death via the Coronavirus. BYD(A Chinese Company) who Rex is making bank from and he brought to our Valley has now made it clear that money overrides those who will die from this.
Stupid government and CDC says
Oldest coronavirus spreading is the government in the CDC fault..
You have a [removed] of people there are sick with the coronavirus why in the hell you bring them to California and unload them here. Why don’t you leave them where they were at to begin with and make sure there’s no virus before you even brought them here you people are very stupid and ignorant..
I think the people in California have the right to sue California government for causing this outbreak
Laughing says
Those citizens may want to be nearer to family while ill.
Did I mention they are citizens?
Oh, and the idea that we have the best (cough… cough) healthcare in the world. Just ask Trump.
And they are citizens.
Alby says
I’m more worried about the idiots hiding behind the Fear of covid-19 and using it as an excuse to discriminate and harm others out of more paranoia and ignorance. Theres already enough discrimination, paranoia and ignorance here in this town. Why take away the humor of it all with true Fear. If strangers learn to stay arms length away from strangers while shopping or waiting in line anywhere in public then this world would be a much better place with or without the darn virus. Punch someone or spray Lysol at them if they cough or blow there nose right next to You rather than an Open distant enviroment. Hygienic shysters and dirty people need a rude wake up call from Paranoia and Ignorance but not from Fear… Not yet… There’s hope.
Alby says
But if you two strangers are reaching for the same last bucket of rainbow sherbert ice cream or mint and chip at their local Right-Aid,….. The better person will just back the [removed] off and just let him [removed] have it. Its only ice cream. Dont argue who the better person is or you’ll both get viruses……….
The End is Nigh ... Prepare says
There are Coronavirus Cases now in the Antelope Valley. Best to prepare for the worst at this rate. Seek a reputable mortuary (Halley Olsen is as good as it gets out here) and purchase a cremation-based funeral service, seek an attorney that deals with wills/estate/probate to ensure your loved ones(should they survive too) and last but not least don’t believe anything the CDC, local government or the media says. It’s your lives folks, take control of the last moments of your lives.
Alexis says
I let everyone go ahead of me, so I might spend hours in the same place. Also, I’m taller than most people (6′), so if they cough, sneeze, or blow their noses in front of me, they’re not at face level. Anyway, I live with no fear of contracting Coronavirus, because there are at least 50 to a hundred ways I might start out alive and end up dead. “Keep on keepin on,” and “keep on truckin'”
WrexIt Virus says
Chinese from which Rex brought and has been getting rich from thru BYD brought the Coronavirus and may be all over the AV now
Alexis says
Maybe he will be mayor for a 5th term. Maybe when no one shows up to vote Rex out, you can blame it on the Corona virus this time.
Voter says
Rex will win for sure. The voters of Lancaster aren’t known for their intelligence, just their blind loyalty to a very strange, corrupt, cruel and bizarre man.
Laughing says
Still less deadly than all the crap drivers and outright law breakers in this valley.
Transmission says
There are some fantastic deals on cruises right now.