Coronavirus Disinfecting Services

Friday, 30 October 2020

14 Sonoma County hospital employees test positive for coronavirus

HEALDSBURG, Calif. (KRON) - A care facility in Northern California is dealing with a cluster of COVID cases. Since late September, 14 staff members have tested positive for the highly contagious virus.

The hospital is working closely with the county health department to test all of it's staff to try and stop any further spread.

At the Healdsburg District Hospital, a spokesperson says there has been no transmission of COVID to the 17 full time patients who live at this facility. That said, since late September there have been 14 positive cases and now a massive testing is underway.

Healdsburg District Health Hospital conducted 287 COVID-19 tests on Monday -- 160 have been returned so far, according to hospital spokesperson Gina Fabinano and all 160 were negative.

The widespread testing got underway after a staff member was discovered positive and then over the course of several weeks, Fabiano says they noticed an uptick in cases going up to a total of 14 staff members testing positive for the highly contagious disease.

Fabiano says they are working closely with the Sonoma County Public Health Department to do contract tracing and go over safety protocols.

On a countywide update, the Sonoma County health officer said she believes the district hospital is following protocol.

“We are waiting for more test results. They seem to be on top of the cases,” Dr. Sundari Mase said.

Hospital spokesperson says they discovered two staff members who work closely with each other and are friends who often eat lunch together passed along the virus to one another. those who tested positive isolated at home.

Sonoma County health officials say the hospital is reflective of the county right now. It is still in the purple phase, while many other county’s move forward at this point.

The doctor says most of the infection cases are between family members and friends. She also warned that the upcoming Halloween event tomorrow could produce a large number of cases and warned everyone to continue to stay vigilant.

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San Mateo Co. health officer revises quarantine, isolation guidelines

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KRON) - San Mateo County has revised its local COVID-19 health orders to provide updated guidelines for quarantine and isolation, the county announced Friday.

The revised order further aligns with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The guidelines were revised by Dr. Scott Morrow, the county's health officer.

Quarantine applies to individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 after being in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

If someone is aware that they have been in close contact with a positive case, they must self-quarantine. For individuals who do not live with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, quarantine lasts 14 days. Individuals living with someone diagnosed with the virus must quarantine for 14 days after the household member no longer needs to be isolated.

Isolation applies to individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. If they test positive, individuals must immediately isolate in their homes or another residence, follow isolation instructions, notify close contacts and cooperate with local public health officials.

Individuals with the virus should isolate for at least 10 days after first developing symptoms and at least one day after recovery, defined as resolution of fever without medication and improvement in other COVID-19 symptoms.

Those individuals who are asymptomatic should isolate for 10 days following their positive test.

Anyone needing assistance with finding a place to isolate or quarantine can call 211 to contact the county's Emergency Operations Center Care and Shelter Branch. The center may also be able to help with food and other essentials.

San Mateo County's new orders also contain specific guidelines for health care workers and first responders.

Morrow said in Friday's press release that the order is issued based on scientific evidence and best practices, as COVID-19 can easily spread between people who are in close contact with one another.

San Mateo County's COVID-19 numbers continue to decline. For the week ending Oct. 17, the county had an adjusted case rate of 3 per day per 100,000 compared to 3.5 the previous week. The test positivity rate declined from 1.8 percent the week ending Oct. 10 to 1.6 percent the following week.

These numbers - due in part to increased testing - helped the county to advance on Tuesday from the red (substantial risk) tier to the orange (moderate risk) tier of the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

While the move loosens restrictions on businesses and activities, county officials warn that people should not let their guard down.

County Manager Mike Callagy said that people should continue to wear face coverings, wash their hands frequently, practice social distancing and take other common-sense precautions. He also discouraged gatherings.

"As we approach the holidays and cooler weather, it is important to know that the risks associated with gatherings outside of households are significant," Callagy said in Friday's press release. "While we often gather with friends and family out of affection, this year consider showing your respect by staying safely apart."

To view the revised health orders regarding quarantine and isolation, visit HERE. Other local health orders are available HERE.

More information on Covid-19 is available at the CDC website.

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Armenia, Azerbaijan vow to avoid targeting residential areas

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan promised Friday to avoid shelling residential areas amid the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a pledge that follows a day of talks in Geneva even as Azerbaijani troops pushed deeper into the separatist territory.

The two sides agreed they “will not deliberately target civilian populations or non-military objects in accordance with international humanitarian law.” They also promised to help recover and exchange the remains of soldiers left on the battlefield and in a week’s time submit lists of prisoners of war for the purpose of “providing access and eventual exchange.”

The talks between foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were sponsored by the so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France. The co-chairs said in a statement issued after the talks that Armenia and Azerbaijan also promised to offer their proposals regarding possible cease-fire verification mechanisms.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The latest outburst of hostilities began Sept. 27 and left hundreds and perhaps thousands dead, marking the worst escalation of fighting since the war’s end.

A U.S.-brokered truce frayed immediately after it took effect Monday, just like two previous cease-fires negotiated by Russia. The warring sides have repeatedly blamed each other for violations.

During Friday’s talks, co-chairs of the Minsk Group urged the sides to honor their cease-fire commitments. “The Co-Chairs will continue working with the sides intensively to find a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” they said in a statement.

While the top diplomats held tense talks in Geneva, Azerbaijani forces continued pressing their offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh after more than a month of heavy fighting.

Intense clashes were going on in the south of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia’s Defense Ministry said. The Azerbaijani military reported that areas in the Terter and Gubadli regions of Azerbaijan came under Armenian shelling.

On Thursday, Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist leader said Azerbaijani troops had advanced to within 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) of a strategically located town just south of the region’s capital, Stepanakert.

In a somber acknowledgment of Azerbaijani gains, Arayik Harutyunyan urged residents to mobilize all their resources to fend off the attack on Shushi, a town that sits on the main road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

“The one who controls Shushi controls Nagorno-Karabakh,” Harutyunyan said, standing next to the Shushi cathedral that was badly damaged by Azerbaijani shelling earlier this month.

In Stepanakert, a group of people boarded a bus bound for Armenia to escape the fighting.

“I don’t want to leave. I want to stay home in the village but they told us that we should leave,” said Valya Sogomonyan, who fled her village in the Askeran region. “Azerbaijanis are shelling our village. We are leaving our house and all our things behind.”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has insisted that Azerbaijan has the right to reclaim its territory by force after three decades of international mediation have produced no result. He said that Armenia must pledge to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh as a condition for a lasting truce.

Azerbaijani troops, which have relied on strike drones and long-range rocket systems supplied by Turkey, have reclaimed control of several regions on the fringes of Nagorno-Karabakh and forged into the separatist territory from the south.

According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 1,166 of their troops and 39 civilians have been killed. Azerbaijani authorities haven’t disclosed their military losses, but say the fighting has killed at least 91 civilians and wounded 400.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that, according to Moscow’s information, the actual death toll was significantly higher and nearing 5,000.

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Chase Center to serve as ballot dropoff location this weekend

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) -- The brand new home of the Golden State Warriors will be a place to make your voice heard this election.

Chase Center will be collecting ballots Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

While there will be no in-person voting happening, that option will be available at both the team's practice facility in Oakland and their Santa Cruz arena.

The team's vice president of government affairs and community relations says they want to empower their fans to exercise their right to vote, and maybe draw people to the polls may not have been motivated before.

"We are all in. I think everyone from our players to our coaches to our senior leadership and everyone for the entire organization is speaking collectively on thism," Yoyo Chan said. "There is no other option for us this year but to get out the vote and exercise that right."

Fans who live around the Chase facility think the move is a slam dunk for civic engagement.

"I think it's a great thing," one man said. "I'm gonna be dropping off my ballot tomorrow and I'm really glad it's available. I've always voted at city hall early but because it's so close to my work, it's easy for me to drop off my ballot and i think it's great that other people have more convenience."

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Louisville police officer files lawsuit against Breonna Taylor's boyfriend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (NewsNation Now) — A Kentucky police officer has filed a lawsuit against Breonna Taylor's boyfriend.

In the lawsuit, Louisville Metro Police Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly claimed he was shot in the thigh by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, during the police search in Taylor's home.

He alleges that the shot was "outrageous, intolerable and offends all accepted standards of decency or morality."

The lawsuit accuses Walker of battery, assault and emotional distress.

Walker's attorney, Steve Romines, called the legal action a "baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny."

Kenny Walker is protected by law under KRS 503.085 and is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability as he was acting in self defense in his own home. Even the most basic understanding of Kentucky’s Stand Your Ground law and the “Castle Doctrine” evidences this fact. One would think that breaking into the apartment, executing his girlfriend and framing him for a crime in an effort to cover up her murder would be enough for them. Yet this baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny indicates otherwise.
Attorney Steve Romines on behalf of Kenneth Walker

Taylor, a 26-year-old Louisville emergency medical technician studying to become a nurse, was killed March 13 after being roused from sleep by police at her door. Taylor was shot multiple times by police after Walker fired once at white officers executing a narcotics warrant. Walker said he didn't know it was police and thought it was an intruder.

The warrant was approved as part of a narcotics investigation. No drugs were found at her home.

The case has fueled nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism.

full lawsuit

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Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird announce engagement on social media

(NEXSTAR) – Powerhouse sports couple Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird announced their engagement on social media Friday.

An Instagram photo shows soccer star Rapinoe taking a knee to slide a ring on Bird's finger – no caption needed.

Rapinoe, 35, a forward for the OL Reign in Seattle, has won an Olympic gold medal as well as the FIFA World Cup, among numerous other honors. Bird, 40, is herself an Olympic gold medalist as well as a WNBA legend who plays for the Seattle Storm. Bird has both four Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships.

"Congrats to THE power couple on their engagement!!!" Bird's team tweeted Friday evening.

Rapinoe's OL Reign celebrated the news as well, tweeting, "We're not crying, you're crying."

Beyond their stunning athletic achievements, Rapinoe and Bird also became the first openly gay couple to appear on the cover of the Body Issue of ESPN in 2018.

The engagement news also caught the eye of former Vice President Biden:

Love will always win. Congratulations, @S10Bird and @mPinoe! https://t.co/isj9Q2R3R8
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 31, 2020

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Bay Area native, pregnant ESPN reporter fires back at troll

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (KRON) - An ESPN reporter and Bay Area native is catching national attention after firing back at an online troll.

Molly McGrath wrote a post on Instagram after someone on Twitter made a comment about her pregnant body.

The Burlingame, CA native covers college basketball and football for ESPN.

"It's worth it to do the hard work because the job is just so much fun and there's no where else I'd rather be," said McGrath.

McGrath devotes her week to prepping and then traveling to games where she spends hours on her feet working each broadcast.

This season on top of the usual demands, she's dealing with the body changes that come with pregnancy.

"Women in sports work just as hard if not harder than the men, especially when they're balancing a career and a family and creating a life. I think they deserve more respect than someone making a comment about their appearance," said McGrath.

McGrath says a mean comment by a Twitter troll after a game led her to create a powerful Instagram post, writing that she is proud to be a pregnant woman working full time.

"I was exhausted, in pain, and I said gosh I can't believe that I just did all that and I just worked my butt off and someone only noticed the way that I look. That is so discouraging. Why is that the expectation? Women aren’t there to be eyecandy or a prop or an accessory," said McGrath.

McGrath says she's been overwhelmed by the response, and support, especially from women in the industry.

She hopes to pay it forward with this message for other young women and girls.

"The days of women being the sole caregiver and being in the kitchen and working at home, those days are over. Just because of a pandemic women shouldn't accept that as their reality. I want other women to know that they can have it all too. They can find a way to have a successful career and find a way to have a family," said McGrath.

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