Karen Elliott was at dinner with her two children when she got the call that Tulare County had its first COVID-19 case. My life changed that night, said Elliott, Tulare County Public Health Director. As the days went on, our community s lives changed.
On the anniversary of the first COVID-19 case, Elliott and several public health experts highlighted the county s pandemic efforts. Thursday s virtual town hall was hosted by Tulare County Health & Human Services.
Following a deadly winter surge, Tulare County has reported a steady decline in cases and deaths. And for the first time, the county could enter a less restrictive tier as early as Tuesday.
Write your own history : South Valley doctors, nurses make desperate plea to stay home for holidays
KFSN
CORRECTION:
The Action News story that aired on Tuesday stated, Some nurses at Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville are putting in 140-hour workweeks to help meet the unprecedented demand for care.
Hospital officials say this isn t accurate. They say there was an instance of one ICU nurse working 140 hours within a pay period of two weeks (not one week).
South Valley hospitals are at a breaking point.
They re understaffed due to employees who are sick or in quarantine, and as admissions of COVID-19 patients continue to soar, staffed beds are scarce and emergency rooms are becoming overwhelmed.