LAKE COUNTY
Lake County’s emergency departments are stretched due to our COVID caseload
With Lake County’s COVID-19 caseload reaching critically high levels, the Emergency Departments at Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport and Adventist Health in Clearlake have now been significantly stretched for more than a week.
The Health Services Department has received reports some people with mild symptoms that can be associated with COVID-19 have continued to utilize local Emergency Rooms for COVID testing. Other have sought vaccination at our hospitals.
“As a small, rural County, we have limited intensive care and emergency medicine resources,” shares Charlie Evans, MD, Lake County’s Acting Public Health Officer. “They must be reserved for those in medical distress; those in need of immediate care. Over-utilization of these resources extends wait times, and delays care for those in the greatest need.”
“At this time, we ask people with mild symptoms to please contact their medical providers and nursing advice lines, rather than going straight to the emergency room,” continues Evans. “If you are in need of immediate medical care, go to the ER. However, if you are mildly ill, use alternative resources.”
Visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm and http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Testing.htm to learn more about vaccination and testing resources available in Lake County.
COVID-19 Testing Resources in Lake County
- OptumServe at Lower Lake Town Hall (16195 Main Street): Mondays and Thursdays, 7-11am and 12-4pm – appointments are highly recommended, limited on-site registration is available.
- Rite Aid is conducting Drive-Thru testing in Clearlake and Ukiah: Appointments can be made online at https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/services/covid-19-testing. Insurance is not required.
- Labcorp offers home testing by mail. Visit https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/. Insurance not required.
- Lake County Tribal Health offers testing by appointment to established patients with or without symptoms. For appointments, call 707-263-8382.
- Clearlake VA Clinic is offering COVID-19 tests to veterans experiencing symptoms or prior to procedures. Please call the TLC line at 800-733-0502 for information.
- Quest Diagnostics offers home testing by mail. Visit https://questdirect.questdiagnostics.com/ for information and to see if you’re eligible for $0 out-of-pocket-testing. (Quest Diagnostics in Lakeport is NOT offering in-lab testing for active COVID-19.)
- Sutter Health (outpatient clinics) are offering testing to existing patients, if ordered by your provider. Please contact your provider’s office for details.
- Adventist Health is offering testing to existing pediatric patients (children) in limited circumstances. Please contact your provider’s office for details.
- Lake County Public Health will test by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 AM-11:30 AM. Call 707-263-8174 to schedule or for information.
—Submitted
LAKEPORT
Construction project: waterfront parking rehabilitation
Argonaut Constructors has contracted with the City of Lakeport to construct the waterfront parking rehabilitation project. Work includes water line replacement, storm drain upgrades, curb, gutter, sidewalk and the reconstruction and paving of the parking lot between Third Street and Fifth Street in downtown Lakeport.
Work is scheduled to start August 2, with an estimated completion date of November 17. The first phase will include utility and concrete work in sections of the parking lot for minimal disruptions to the parking areas.
Due to extreme low water, the Third Street launch has been closed starting this week. The Fifth Street launch will remain open and continue to be monitored.
Temporary lane closures, vehicle and pedestrian detours will be implemented at various stages of the project. The parking area will be closed from September 20 to October 8 to allow for the complete reconstruction and paving of the parking lot. Some portions of work will be completed at night to minimize the impact on traffic.
Contact the Lakeport Department of Public Works with any project related questions, (707) 263-3578.
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Newsom offers cash to conserve energy
First, Gov. Gavin Newsom offered cash for vaccinations. Now, he’s offering cash for energy conservation.
In a sign that California is at dire risk of rolling blackouts this summer, Newsom on Friday signed an emergency proclamation that orders the state to reimburse utilities for payments made to energy-thirsty industrial customers who agree to reduce their use when the grid is strained. The directive authorizes payments of up to $2 per kilowatt-hour — well above the 14-cent average paid by industrial customers.
The move suggests that conditions have worsened since May, when Elliot Mainzer, president of the state’s electric grid operator, expressed “guarded optimism” that California would be able to avoid blackouts. In the emergency proclamation, Newsom said the state currently faces an energy shortfall of up to 3,500 megawatts — enough to power 2.6 million homes — and could face a deficit of 5,000 megawatts next summer.
Also Friday, Newsom met virtually with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Western governors to discuss wildfires. Newsom criticized the federal government — which owns nearly half of California’s land — for frequently taking a “wait and see” approach to fires, rather than snuffing them out immediately. Experts cite the Tamarack Fire burning on the California-Nevada border as a prime example of the policy’s shortcomings.
—Submitted
—Compiled by Ariel Carmona Jr.
