December 24, 2020 Twenty-two people at the Mendocino County jail are known to be infected with covid-19, according to Sheriff Matt Kendall. Seventeen inmates and five officers have tested positive for the virus. The outbreak is currently confined to the men’s jail. Public Health Officer Dr. Andrew Coren said PCR testing was done on December 22 and 23, and more testing will be done over the weekend. Kendall said 100% of the population, which is currently about 260 people, including inmates and staff, will be tested. The population usually goes up over the weekend. The jail has nine cells with a special system of non-recirculating air for covid patients, and one wing of the facility has been set aside for isolation. Some of the inmates are symptomatic, but not severely enough for hospitalization at this point.
December 16, 2020 Supervisors Carre Brown and John McCowen were honored at their last Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday, with Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Jim Wood sharing a retrospective of their accomplishments.
Public Health Officer Dr. Andrew Coren disclosed new school guidance loosening restrictions on cohorts, which Ukiah Unified School District Superintendent Deb Kubin said will allow schools to open to in-person instruction for one period per day. That guidance can be acted upon four weeks after the county re-enters the red tier, as per regulations put out by the state. Right now, Mendocino County is firmly in the purple tier, surpassing 2,000 known cases earlier this week.