County of Santa Clara’s Non-Essential Services to Close Starting Monday, March 16, to Slow the Spread of COVID-19
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — The County of Santa Clara will close all non-essential services to the public effective Monday, March 16, 2020, to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This announcement comes as Governor Gavin Newsom called for the closure of California’s bars, brewpubs and wineries, and called on individuals 65 and older, and others at higher risk of serious complications from exposure to the virus to isolate in their homes.
“We are facing an historically difficult challenge,” said Dr. Jeffrey V. Smith, County Executive. “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. County departments will continue to provide essential services, but now is the time to avoid non-essential interactions in our County facilities.”
Essential services are defined as those necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community. All Santa Clara County hospitals and health clinics continue to remain open. Services provided by law enforcement and first-responders will continue, and many departments will operate with modified services to minimize in-person contacts.
"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," said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer. "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.”
County Departments are encouraging residents to conduct business and access services with the County either online or by phone whenever possible. Santa Clara County Library District public library locations are closed through at least April 12, however many online library services are offered through its website.
"This is a rapidly evolving situation,” Smith said. "County officials will continue to take prudent, swift action as needed to protect our community. We urge all residents and organizations to closely follow and implement the orders and guidance of our Public Health officials.”
For the latest guidance and information, please visit sccphd.org/coronavirus. As of Sunday night, 114 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Santa Clara County, tripling the case count in one week. Fifty-two of these cases are presumed to be due to community transmission.
For information about County service impacts, residents should visit https://news.sccgov.org/updates-regarding-county-services-during-novel-coronavirus-covid-19. This webpage will continue to be updated with information from all County departments throughout Monday, March 16.
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About the County of Santa Clara, California
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, the sixth largest county in California. With a $8.17 billion budget, more than 70 agencies/departments and nearly 22,000 employees, the County of Santa Clara plans for the needs of a dynamic community, offers quality services, and promotes a healthy, safe and prosperous community for all. The County provides essential services, including public health and environmental protection; behavioral health and medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System including Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (Hospital and Clinics), O’Connor Hospital and Saint Louise Regional Hospital; child and adult protection services; homelessness prevention and solutions; roads, parks and libraries; emergency response to disasters; protection of minority communities and those under threat; access to a fair criminal justice system, and scores of other services, particularly for those members of our community in the greatest need.
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Posted: March 16, 2020.