Santa Clara County Shutters Non-Essential Services To Slow Coronavirus Spread
SANTA CLARA COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Officials in Santa Clara County on Monday closed all non-essential services to bolster ongoing efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"We are facing an historically difficult challenge," County Executive Jeffrey Smith said in a statement Monday. "COVID-19 is something we haven't seen before. We must respond in real time with thoughtful, aggressive action to protect the public and our employees."
The news comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday called for bars and nightclubs to close to try to protect public health and slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
"County departments will continue to provide essential services, but now is the time to avoid non-essential interactions in our county facilities," Smith said.
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The known confirmed case count in Santa Clara County was 114 as of Monday morning, after an additional 23 cases on Sunday and 12 cases on Saturday were newly confirmed over the weekend, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
"We're at a critical moment. We need to act swiftly to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in order to keep our healthcare delivery system from becoming overwhelmed," Dr. Sara Cody, the county's Health Officer and public health director, said in a statement. "Each of us has to do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. The paradox is this: to come together as a community and protect each other, we need to physically stay apart for a while."
