SANTA CLARA COUNTY—The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department announced Friday that a third case of coronavirus has been diagnosed in that county.
The case is different from the other two previously found, in that the victim does not have a travel history nor any known contact with a traveler or infected person.
The individual is an older adult woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized for a respiratory illness, the public health department said in a press release.
Since receiving the results last night, the department has been working to identify contacts and understand the extent of exposures.
Health officials declined to release further information, citing privacy laws.
“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear,” said Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County and director of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department. “I understand this may be concerning to hear, but this is what we have been preparing for. Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.”
This case is important because it signals that now is the time to change course, Cody said.
The public health measures taken so far – isolation, quarantine, contract tracing and travel restrictions – have helped to slow the spread of the disease. The department will continue to implement these measures and continue to trace close contacts of its cases to protect the health of individuals and the community, Cody said.
Public health officials recommend the following:
• Keep hands clean.
• Avoid as much as possible touching your face, nose, mouth or eyes.
• Stay away from people who are sick.
• Be prepared to take care of sick family while not getting infected. This could include isolating a sick person.
For information, visit sccphd.org/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
