Santa Clara County declared a local health emergency Monday amid coronavirus concerns. It will be in effect for 30 days.
This does not mean that residents are at greater risk of infection with the novel coronavirus, authorities said. Instead, it will allow health authorities to be better prepared to respond to an outbreak.
The declaration will also allow the county to receive resources from the state of California.
So far, two county residents, a man and a woman, tested positive for coronavirus after returning to the United States from Wuhan, China.
Health officials said they both only left their homes to receive medical care.
Read Santa Clara County's full statement bellow:
An official declaration for a local health emergency, and a proclamation of a local emergency, was presented to the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors on February 10, 2020. The declaration and proclamation do not signify any increase in risk to the residents of Santa Clara County. These actions empower the County to more effectively respond to the outbreak, seek and utilize mutual aid, potentially obtain reimbursement, and ensure that the County’s public health professionals have all necessary tools at their disposal to keep the community safe.
Local
The declaration of a health emergency is invoked under the State of California Health and Safety Code (Section 101080). The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to ratify and extend the declaration and proclamation for 30 days.
There are two confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Santa Clara County. There is no evidence that there is person to person spread of the new virus in Santa Clara County.
