Inyo County Experiences a 40% Growth in COVID-19 Infections Over 2 Weeks

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:           Rhiannon Baker, Health and Human Services, rbaker@inyocounty.us

INYO COUNTY EXPERIENCES A 40% GROWTH
IN COVID-19 INFECTIONS OVER 2 WEEKS

INYO COUNTY, CA, June 30, 2020:

Over the last two weeks Inyo County confirmed a significant spike in confirmed COVID-19 infections!  As of today, there is a 40% increase in confirmed cases as well as confirmed cases from travelers outside of our area that are not counted toward Inyo County’s formal case-count reporting.  Prior to the phased re-opening, Inyo County avoided a new case for more than 45 days.   Needless to say this latest development is highly concerning for the physical and economic health of our communities.  Below is a breakdown of where we are seeing the new infections coming from:

  • 33% of the new cases relate to locals who were infected by visitors from out of the area;
  • 22% of the new cases were transmitted during group gatherings and parties;  
  • 33% of the new cases relate to locals travelling out of the area and bringing COVID-19 back with them;  
  • Additional cases relate to non-locals traveling through and/or visiting our area who were sick enough to need to be tested and/or admitted to our local hospital. 


The above information underscores the CRITICAL IMPORTANCE of our collective and individual need to:

  1. Avoid unnecessary travel and stop unnecessary visitors from traveling to see you. It is too dangerous!
  1. Refrain from group gatherings! (No 4th of July group / extended family BBQs!  Full stop.)
  1. Wear your face covering, keep your distance, and wash your hands!
     
  2.  AVOID and/or LEAVE businesses where people are not wearing face coverings and distancing. If you go into a business or venue and people are not masking and distancing, GET OUT!  
     
  3. Be respectful to others and have concern for their wellbeing!

Our failure to keep COVID-19 infections under control locally puts our communities’ physical and economic health in peril.  If these numbers keep up, our local re-opening variance is at risk of being revoked, and our businesses may then be forced to close again.  We obviously want to avoid that.  Please do your part to keep us healthy and open for business.

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