Category: Covid-19

More than 120 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Lancaster County schools so far into the 2020-21 school year.

The cases come from 16 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter school in Lancaster city and the county's career and technology center.

And that might not be all.

With the Pennsylvania Department of Health not tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, it's up to each district to notify the community of a positive test from someone inside its schools.

Reporting methods differ wildly from district to district.

Some schools have posted a letter online after discovering each positive test. Elizabethtown Area has added a "COVID-19 dashboard" showing the number of at each of its schools.

Hempfield, meanwhile, is publishing daily a simple "yes" or "no" as to whether it conducted contact tracing that day. The number in the list below, therefore, corresponds to the number of times the district has conducted contact tracing. The number of actual cases may be higher.

Some districts haven't published anything.

Only School District of Lancaster has specified whether the positive tests came from a student or a staff member.

With each case comes contact tracing, cleaning and sanitizing buildings and, in some cases, school closures.

Ten schools Conestoga Valley High School, Donegal High School, Donegal Intermediate School, East High Street Elementary School, Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown Area Middle School, the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, Pequea Valley High School, Pequea Valley Intermediate School and Penn Manor High School have temporarily closed this fall due to COVID-19.

Below is a list of known school districts and individual schools that have reported at least one case of COVID-19.

Note: These are cumulative cases; some are no longer active.

Last updated Oct. 26.

List follows map.

TOTAL:121.

Cocalico:Seven three at Reamstown Elementary School, two at Denver Elementary School, and one each at Cocalico High School and Cocalico Middle School.

Columbia Borough: One.

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Conestoga Valley: Eleven eight at Conestoga Valley High School, and one each at Brownstown Elementary school, Gerald G. Huesken Middle School and Leola Elementary School (new).

Donegal: Four three at Donegal Intermediate School and one at Donegal Primary School.

Eastern Lancaster County: Two at Garden Spot High School (one new).

Elizabethtown Area:Sixteen five at the Elizabethtown Area High School, three each at Elizabethtown Area Middle School and Bear Creek School (one new), Rheems Elementary School and East High Street Elementary School, and one at Mill Rhoad Elementary School.

Ephrata Area:One at Ephrata High School.

Hempfield:Fifteen.

La Academia Partnership Charter School: One.

Lampeter-Strasburg:Five four at Lampeter-Strasburg High School and one at Martin Meylin Middle School.

Lancaster County Career & Technology Center: Four.

Manheim Central: Two one each at Doe Run Elementary School and Manheim Central Middle School.

Manheim Township: Eight two each at Landis Run Intermediate School, Manheim Township High School and Reidenbaugh Elementary School, and one each at Manheim Township Middle School and Nitrauer Elementary School.

Penn Manor:Twelve seven at Penn Manor High School and one each at Central Manor Elementary School, Eshleman Elementary School, Hambright Elementary School, Manor Middle School and Marticville Middle School.

Pequea Valley:Seven two each at Paradise Elementary School and Salisbury Elementary School, one at Pequea Valley High School.Two additional cases were reported within the district, but no school was identified.

School District of Lancaster: Twelve six students and six staff members.

Solanco:One at Quarryville Elementary School.

Warwick: Twelve five at Warwick Middle School (one new), three at Warwick High School and one each at John Beck Elementary School, Kissel Hill Elementary School and Lititz Elementary School. One additional case was reported within the district, but no school was identified.

Are we missing any confirmed COVID-19 cases at Lancaster County schools? Let us know by emailing ageli@lnpnews.com.

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More than 120 COVID-19 cases have been reported at Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update] - LancasterOnline

Eight University students tested positive for COVID-19 from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, the most in a three day time period to date, according to an Oct. 24 email from Executive Vice President of Planning and Policy Russell Carey 91. This is also the most positive test results the University has seen in a one week period since the asymptomatic test program began.

But these results do not represent an emergency based on public health standards, Carey wrote.

The recent increase brings the total number of positive cases from asymptomatic testing to 37.

Meanwhile, at the state and national levels, there are very serious concerns about the trends and positivity rates, Carey said. We are going to continue to emphasize the messages the governor is emphasizing about wearing masks, social distancing (and) keeping gathering sizes low.

The governor asked for increased vigilance with small family gatherings, small gatherings with friends (and) work environments, Carey said. In these places, people know each other, they trust each other, they take their mask off, and they are in close proximity to each other, he added. Somebody could be asymptomatic in that setting but still transmit the virus.

Raimondos messaging on COVID-19 precautions is consistent with the Universitys public health campaign, Carey said during a conversation with The Herald Oct. 22, before his email announcement.

There is nothing that we had to do that we werent already doing from the last week or so of communications from the state, Carey said.

The governor asked for increased vigilance with small family gatherings, small gatherings with friends (and) work environments, Carey said. In these places, people know each other, they trust each other, they take their mask off, and they are in close proximity to each other somebody could be asymptomatic in that setting but still transmit the virus, Carey added.

The most important step we can all take to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 is to wear a mask whenever you are with other people beyond your immediate household or pod, Carey reiterated in his Oct. 24 email. Mask wearing is a simple but critical step to prevent the spread of this virus.

University students can practice the same vigilance by strictly limiting social interaction to pods and maintaining mask-wearing during class and during passing conversations, which are the best practices that students and faculty are already following very carefully, Carey said.

With Election Day coming up, there are options for emergency voting at the Providence City Hall. Voting is considered an essential off-campus activity, but people should wear a mask and maintain social distancing while they do that, Carey said.

In addition, the University will be hosting a polling location on campus in the Pizzitola Center on Election Day. We are working very closely with the city to make sure that is conducted safely, Carey said, emphasizing alternative ways of voting safely, such as voting by mail and early voting.

Gathering size limitations will still apply on Election Day. This is not an election where we can host a watch party in Leung Gallery, and thats unfortunate but (those are) the circumstances that we are in, Carey said.

Representatives from campus life, the college and other offices on campus will be available on election night and into the early morning to provide guidance, support, and, if people are gathering, remind them of safety regulations particularly with regards to mask wearing and social distancing.

Kamran King contributed reporting

Read more:

VP Carey: Brown sees most positive COVID-19 cases 'in a three day time period to date' - The Brown Daily Herald

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) The Chemung County Health Department announcing this morning that 3 more individuals have passed away due to COVID-19 in Chemung County over the weekend.

One of the individuals was a 67-year-old male from the City of Elmira, one was a 78-year-old male from the Town of Horseheads and the last was an 86-year-old female from the Village of Horseheads.

The county sending out their condolences to the family and friends of the individuals.

According to the Chemung County Health department one of the indivuals is linked to a cluster associated with a golf course.

The County Executive and the County Health Department ask that anyone with questions call them at (607)-737-2028

Read more:

Chemung County announces 3 more COVID-19 related deaths over the weekend - WETM - MyTwinTiers.com

It's time to gather the family together for the talk. Not that talk the talk about what to do for Thanksgiving this year as the pandemic rolls on.

It has been months since many of us have seen extended family we're longing to check in on aging parents, to see old friends from back home, etc. But even though Thanksgiving often conjures up pictures of big happy reunions, how safe is it to make them a reality?

"Right now, in many areas of the country, COVID-19 rates are starting to surge again," says Dr. Tina Tan, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Tan fears that the lure of holiday parties as well as more indoor activity because of the colder weather may result in more illnesses.

But if your heart is set on having a get-together, there are some things you can do to protect yourself, Tan says.

First, make sure you know who is attending and if you are traveling, how you'll get there. You need to know what coronavirus transmission rates are in the area you live and where you're going, Tan says. You can use NPR's coronavirus tracker to check this.

"Unfortunately, you're not really going to know that until fairly close to when you want to travel because these [transmission rates] are changing really rapidly," she says.

Family trip road trip

The safest way to travel is to drive, Tan says. The main risks in a road trip are the stops along the way, such as at restaurants, gas stations, or public restrooms.

"I would recommend you do anything you can to limit your exposure," says Dr. Ravina Kullar, an epidemiologist and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "If you have to fill up the gas tank, put gloves on and use hand sanitizer" and wear a mask, she says.

That's what Clay Alling is planning to do take a family road trip to the coast. Alling is a chef and general manager for a group of British pubs called Baker St. Pub & Grill, all located in Texas.

He often makes Thanksgiving dinners and delivers them to customers in the Houston area, where he lives.

"Not this past Thanksgiving, the one before that, I did 55 turkeys, I did 300 pounds of mashed potatoes, 100 pounds of green beans ... 42 dozen eggs, 12 dozen yeast rolls ... 12 cherry pies, 15 pecan pies, 28 pumpkin pies. It was crazy."

But he's not doing that this year. The pandemic has hit his business hard and has forced adaptations like expanding the food menu at many locations and implementing extensive safety protocols to reopen. He has been working harder than ever this year.

"I'm gonna take a break," he says. "We're going to get some kind of relaxation into everybody's lives."

This year, Alling will take his wife, their three children and his elderly father-in-law (who lives next door and whom the family has been caring for) to the beach for a Thanksgiving escape. They're going to rent a house, which is pretty safe, Tan says.

"You just have to make sure the cabin or whatever you're renting has been cleaned thoroughly so there's not the risk of someone having COVID that was just there ... and it's still on the surfaces or in the air."

But what about flying?

Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for air travel. The Transportation Security Administration screened a record-breaking 26 million passengers over the holiday in 2018.

The airlines are enforcing mask-wearing more consistently than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, Tan says, and they are seating people farther apart. Same with trains.

"The planes themselves are actually very safe. I mean, their air circulation system is better than the air circulation system in many homes," she says.

A recent report in the Journal of Travel Medicine suggests that strict mask-wearing policies on planes is particularly effective. Scientists studied all Emirates airline flights from Dubai to Hong Kong between June 16 and July 5 and found that although Emirates had 58 coronavirus-positive passengers flying on eight-hour trips, nobody else on those flights got sick.

"I think your biggest risk is at the airport," says Tan, where the situation is less predictable. There are more people and fewer controls.

Precautions before you gather

Even if there's no travel involved, gathering indoors with extended family and friends can be risky, especially if there's an older or high-risk person in your group.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people 65 years and older are at higher risk for getting a severe case of COVID-19. About 80% of deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 have been of people in this age group.

You'll need to agree on some ground rules in the weeks leading up to your feast. To be really on the safe side, you would try to quarantine for two weeks before the day, or take as many precautions as practical.

Holly Provan, a cardiac rehab nurse at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., plans to spend Thanksgiving weekend with her family and friends in a shared cabin in the woods in the tiny town of Lake Arrowhead, a few hours drive away. To do that as safely as possible, Provan says she will stop working for a week before the trip, keep everyone in the house socially distant from others, shop exclusively online and take a COVID-19 test.

"We're making some sacrifices for that week before just to make sure we're all extra careful and that they feel safe," she says.

Sharing a cabin with another family or extended family can be relatively low-risk, says Tan, if everyone attending has been following good hygiene practices hand-washing, social distancing as much as possible and mask-wearing in the days or weeks leading up to the event.

And when you're not eating, ideally you should be wearing a mask. "I know it's very awkward, but that's going to be the way you can keep your family and the other family safe," Tan says.

Tan suggests one other precaution before the event: Make sure everybody has a flu shot. "You don't want to bring something else into the mix."

As for COVID-19 tests, Tan says they are not a guarantee.

"Basically what we know about these tests is it only tells you at that particular point in time what your status is," she says. The tests often fail to show when someone is carrying COVID if their exposure has been very recent. They are more accurate five to seven days from exposure, and often, you just don't know when you were exposed, she says. Plus, many people are asymptomatic.

Safer at home sweet home

The safest thing to do is stay home with the people in your own household. That's what Leigh Anne Pineda plans to do. Pineda lives in a garden apartment building with her husband and two children in Burbank, Calif. She works in a credit union, and her youngest child is asthmatic, which puts him at a higher risk for complications from COVID-19.

Although her family is nearby and has been helping with the kids from time to time, Pineda has decided to make this Thanksgiving the one holiday where it's just the four of them.

"I think it's really easy to get engulfed in all the bustle of the holiday and not really enjoy it because there's so many people and there's so much going on and you've got to say 'hi' to these people and clean up all the mess," Pineda says. This year, they're going to ignore the laundry and the dishes and just enjoy one another's company.

And they might even cook something completely untraditional. Her husband is a chef of Filipino descent and might just put some pancit and pork belly on the table. "I'm not going to lie. I'm not the biggest fan of turkey," she says.

And, she's actually looking forward to avoiding the sometimes-exhausting extended family gathering. "Now I have an excuse to stay home!" she says.

Read more:

Thanksgiving In The Time Of COVID-19: Is It Safe To Celebrate With Family? : Shots - Health News - NPR

As COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to surge around the world, another dangerous infection may also be sickening patients: a drug-resistant superbug called Candida auris, National Geographic reported.

The superbug is a yeast that can infect the ears and open wounds, and it can also enter the bloodstream to trigger severe infection throughout the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The yeast clings to surfaces and spreads easily in health care settings, especially among patients with catheters or other tubes that enter their bodies.

Now, early data hints that the influx of COVID-19 patients in hospitals may also be driving a surge of C. auris cases, according to the National Geographic report. Notably, the United States has already reported 1,272 cases of the fungal infection this year, according to the CDC that's about a 400% increase over the number of cases reported in all of 2018, the most recent year with available data. The number of cases in 2020 may be even higher than reported, given that the ongoing pandemic has disrupted surveillance systems used to track the fungus's spread. Other kinds of fungi in the Candida genus closely resemble C. auris, so doctors can identify the yeast only by using a specialized laboratory test.

Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history

"Unfortunately, there have been places where we've seen a resurgence of C. auris," Dr. Tom Chiller, head of the mycotic diseases branch at the CDC, told National Geographic. "We've also seen it get into some of the acute care hospitals and also into some COVID-19 units the concern there is that once it sets up shop in a place, it's hard to get rid of."

According to the CDC, "patients can remain colonized with C. auris for a long time," meaning the fungus can remain on their skin without necessarily causing overt symptoms, "and C. auris can persist on surfaces in healthcare environments." The superbug can also be notoriously difficult to treat. The C. auris yeast comes in several variants that show resistance to different classes of antibiotic drugs; in particular, many variants studied show resistance to the common antifungal fluconazole, and several show resistance to amphotericin B, a second-line antifungal drug that can be given if an initial antibiotic fails, National Geographic reported. Due to drug-resistance, doctors must sometimes resort to treating patients with third-line drugs if a second-line treatment also fails.

Most known variants of C. auris can be treated with third-line antifungals called echinocandins, but these treatments aren't readily available in all countries and some variants of the yeast show resistance to all three classes of antifungals, the CDC notes. Since the yeast was identified in 2009, a few thousand cases have been reported around the world; about 30% to 60% of people infected with the fungus worldwide have died, although many of these people had other serious illnesses, simultaneously, according to the agency.

Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary, a professor of medical mycology at Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute at the University of Delhi, told National Geographic that COVID-19 patients should be regularly screened for C. auris, in order to accurately track rates of infection and identify which antibiotic treatments, if any, might help affected patients recover.

"If we don't identify it, then we don't know if a patient is dying of COVID-19 or another infection," Chowdhary said. But "if it's resistant to drugs, how will we treat it?" she added.

If a given variant of C. auris resists all three classes of antifungal medication, "multiple classes of antifungals at high doses may be required to treat the infection," but this treatment would be a last resort, the CDC notes. Research suggests that using several classes of antifungal at the same time may have an additive effect and help overpower the yeast's resistance to individual drugs, although this still needs to be confirmed with more data.

You can learn more about C. auris at National Geographic.

Originally published on Live Science.

Continued here:

Superbug may be spreading in hospitals overrun with COVID-19 - Live Science

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., October 21, 2020, there have been 695,527 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 20,734 total cases and 413 deaths.

DHHRhas confirmed the deaths of a 62-year old male from Wetzel County, an 87-yearold female from Cabell County, a 76-year old male from Upshur County, an 85-yearold female from Harrison County, and an 89-year old female from Cabell County. Im sorry to report that we have lost another five WestVirginians, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Each loss is aheartbreak to a family and to our state. I urge you to remember your actionsfor safety result in saving the lives of your family, neighbors and friends.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour(164), Berkeley (1,461), Boone (307), Braxton (47), Brooke (197), Cabell(1,237), Calhoun (33), Clay (55), Doddridge (67), Fayette (727), Gilmer (64),Grant (179), Greenbrier (162), Hampshire (122), Hancock (195), Hardy (102),Harrison (624), Jackson (362), Jefferson (538), Kanawha (3,394), Lewis (68),Lincoln (221), Logan (719), Marion (362), Marshall (262), Mason (167), McDowell(106), Mercer (606), Mineral (206), Mingo (528), Monongalia (2,239), Monroe (206),Morgan (109), Nicholas (177), Ohio (467), Pendleton (73), Pleasants (23),Pocahontas (64), Preston (181), Putnam (804), Raleigh (681), Randolph (389),Ritchie (31), Roane (92), Summers (82), Taylor (165), Tucker (58), Tyler (25),Upshur (228), Wayne (513), Webster (26), Wetzel (95), Wirt (32), Wood (505),Wyoming (187).

Please note that delaysmay be experienced with the reporting of information from the local healthdepartment to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local healthdepartment level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may notbe a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in questionmay have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Barbour, Brooke, Harrison, andRitchie counties in this report.

Please visit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

Free COVID-19 testing isavailable today in Berkeley, Cabell, Doddridge,Harrison, Logan, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Roane,Taylor, Wayne, Wirt, and Wyoming counties.

Berkeley County,October 21, 8:30 AM 12:30 PM, Hedgesville High School, 109 Ridge Road North, Hedgesville,WV

Cabell County,October 21, 9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Cabell County Health Department, 703 SeventhAvenue, Huntington, WV (flu shots offered)

DoddridgeCounty, October 21, 1:00 PM 4:00 PM, Doddridge County High School, 79 BulldogDrive, West Union, WV

HarrisonCounty, October 21, 9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Jackson Square (back door of the HealthDepartment), Traders Alley, Clarksburg, WV

Logan County,October 21, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building, 100 Recovery Road, PeachCreek, WV

Mingo County,October 21, 8:00 AM 12:00 PM, Williamson Health and Wellness Center, 183 East2nd Street, Williamson, WV

MonongaliaCounty, October 21, 9:00 AM 4:00 PM, West Virginia University, StudentRecreation Center, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV

Monroe County,October 21, 3:00 PM 7:00 PM, Monroe County Health Department, 200 HealthCenter Drive, Union, WV

Morgan County,October 21, 2:00 PM 6:00 PM, Warm Springs Middle School, 271 Warm Springs Way,Berkeley Springs, WV

PendletonCounty, October 21, 2:00 PM 6:00 PM, Pendleton County Health Department, 273Mill Road, Franklin, WV

RandolphCounty, October 21, 2:00 PM 6:00 PM, 22 Buffalo Street, Elkins, WV

Roane County,October 21, 1:00 5:00 PM, Roane County High School, 1 Raider Way, Spencer, WV

Taylor County,October 21, 12:00 PM 2:00 PM, First Baptist Church of Grafton, 2034 WebsterPike (US Rt. 119 South), Grafton, WV

Wayne County,October 21, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue,Wayne, WV 25570

Wirt County, October21, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Coplin Clinic, 483 Court Street, Elizabeth, WV, Pre-registrationat http://www.ipsumcovidresults.com

WyomingCounty, October 21, 1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street, Pineville,WV

Testing is available toeveryone, including asymptomatic individuals. Additional testing will be held Thursday,October 22 in Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Doddridge, Lincoln,Marion, Marshall, Mingo, Monroe, Morgan, Pendleton, Putnam, Ritchie, Taylor,Wayne, Wirt, and Wyoming counties.

Read more from the original source:

COVID-19 Daily Update 10-21-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

"I'm going to continue to trust South Dakotans to make wise and well-informed decisions for themselves and their families. I'm also asking that we all show respect and understanding to those who make choices we may not agree with. Our trust in the data and in each other has been rewarded. This is a testament to the people of South Dakota -- our greatest weapon against this common enemy."

If there is an epicenter for the resurgent coronavirus in America, then, South Dakota may well be it.

And yet, Noem seems oblivious to all of these data points. Instead, her op-ed largely defends her mostly hands-off approach to the virus in the state to date -- she never issued a stay-at-home order, for example -- while also arguing that there is no need for a mask mandate at this point.

Here's Noem on masks:

"There are many others who question the effectiveness of masks, and South Dakotans should take the time to read this information so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families. As I've said before, if folks want to wear a mask, they should be free to do so. Similarly, those who don't want to wear a mask shouldn't be shamed into wearing one. And government should not mandate it. We need to respect each other's decisions -- in South Dakota, we know a little common courtesy can go a long way.

"Recently, a South Dakota doctor wrote me, thanking me 'for treating your fellow citizens of South Dakota like adults...' I tell you this because there are also some South Dakota medical professionals who have written to tell me of their fears about voicing their thoughts on the situation."

That's positively Trumpian!

Many people suggest masks may not work! Masks are about personal freedom, not public health! Some doctor thanked Noem for taking such a laissez-faire stance on masks!

Masks work to drastically slow the spread of the virus. They remain -- until a vaccine is widely available -- our best tool to fight Covid-19. This is not a political or a partisan statement. It is a fact.

Aligning herself so closely with Trump in her response to Covid-19 could well be a smart strategic move for Noem as the party turns in 2024 to its future national candidates. But for the residents of her state, Noem's actions in regard to the virus have been downright deplorable.

See more here:

This Republican governor thinks she's nailed her state's Covid-19 response. She hasn't. - CNN

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB)A person has tested positive for coronavirus at Cleveland Hill Elementary School.

The district says that person was in the building today and that contact tracing is getting underway.

The school is going to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

The district says students, parents, and staff should monitor their health for COVID-19 symptoms.

Excerpt from:

Person tests positive for COVID-19 at Cleveland Hill Elementary - WIVB.com - News 4

Worshippers came to Redding's Sundial Bridge on July 22, 2020. The crowd put the community 'at risk' for COVID-19, Shasta County health officials say. Redding Record Searchlight

At least two Shasta County supervisors are losing their patience with the leadership at Bethel Church over its messaging amid the recent COVID-19 outbreak at its School of Supernatural Ministry.

At Thursdays special board meeting, Supervisors Les Baugh and Leonard Moty said the tipping point for them came this week, when they learned Kris Vallotton, a church leader who co-founded the evangelical school, hosted a large family outdoor wedding last weekend in Shingletown.

The wedding also came up at Tuesdays regular board meeting.

Im not convinced theyre really hearing (us), said Baugh, a pastor at Anderson Community Church in Anderson.

Supervisor Moty, you mentioned the wedding (Tuesday) and I didnt know at the time the wedding actually had been a personal wedding of one of the leaders of the Bethel community, and I do say, as a community, thats wrong. That should not have happened, Baugh said on Thursday.

Supervisor Les Baugh(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

Moty on Thursday said he was happy to see the School of Supernatural Ministry worked with health officials to help stop the outbreak among its students and staff.

And then, quite frankly, I was very dismayed by this event, and one of their leaders of their church, (who is) very familiar with the (COVID-19) situation, has a very large wedding event there, Moty said. From what I understand, size-wise, (it) could have maybe have been legal if they would have social distanced and wore masks ... but they did nothing of the sort.

Moty said it clearly sent the wrong message.

Supervisor Leonard Moty(Photo: Andreas Fuhrmann)

During Thursdays meeting to consider opting out of the states COVID-19 color-coded tier system, many of the public speakers blamed Bethel and the county for its failure to hold the church accountable for the surge in cases.

Purple tier in Shasta County:Nearly 200 people plead with supervisors on COVID restrictions

Supervisor Joe Chimenti pointed out the megachurch, with its 11,000 members, is hugely influential in the community and the leadership's actions matter. Combined, the church and its subsidiaries, like Bethel Music, Bethel Media and the School of Supernatural Ministry, are one of the largest employers in Shasta County.

I think theyre a large influencer in so many positive ways in the community, that this is a real opportunity for them to step up and show some leadership in terms of how they can help us as a community come together because as we know, this can become very divisive, Chimenti said.

The number of COVID-19 cases associated with theSchool of Supernatural Ministry and a Redding nursing home is on the decline, Shasta County Health Officer Dr. KarenRamstromsaid during a media briefing Wednesday.

Bethel officials have said in written statements they continue to work with public health.

As of last Tuesday, the school had reported 321 positive cases since the outbreak started in September. Bethel spokesman Aaron Tesauro said Friday public health officials confirmed less than 12 active coronavirus cases in the school.

For the actions that Bethel has made as a church and school since March, we recommend the public view our history of adjustments and statements at http://www.bethel.com/coronavirus, Tesauro said in an email.

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry co-founder Kris Vallotton posted a video Tuesday night, Oct. 20, 2020 on Facebook in which he defended the occurrence of a large wedding in Shingletown last weekend.(Photo: Facebook)

Tesauro directed questions about the wedding to Vallotton.

Vallotton addressed his grandson'swedding in avideo he posted Tuesday on Instagram and Facebook. He did not respond to an email from the Record Searchlight seeking comment at the time.

In the video, he said about 100 people attended the wedding, down from an original guest list of 300, and the family and attendees knew the risk.

He said few people wore masks, but they knew all the guests and "we had them seated at family tables."

"I live a fully lockdown life with some exceptions and I think ... we have to measure the risk to reward," he said.

On Friday, Vallotton said in an email to the Record Searchlight that he has reached out to supervisors and will work out my relationship with them personally. He declined to comment further.

RELATED STORY:Amid surge in COVID cases at its school, Bethel hosted in-person worship conference

Meanwhile, in another Instagram video this month, church leader Beni Johnson disparaged the importance of wearing masks to help prevent spread of the virus. If you'll do the scientific research, these masks are worthless and they're people's security blankets," she said in the video.

Johnson later apologized but she also said she still questions the importance of the public health measure.

Sean Feucht sings on stage with his family, Ezra, 5, Keturah, 9, and Malachi, 7, in front of the west steps of the state Capitol as protesters gathered at Liberty Fest to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order in Sacramento, Calif., on May 23. Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the Capitol on Saturday to protest against California's stay-at-home orders even as residents entered the Memorial Day weekend with newly expanded options for going to the beach, barbecuing and shopping. (Jason Pierce/The Sacramento Bee via AP)(Photo: Jason Pierce, AP)

Christian recording artist Sean Feucht, aBethel volunteer worship leader, has held large open-air concerts in California and in other parts of the country, including the National Mall in Washington D.C., Kenosha, Wis. and Chicago and Nashville, in defiance of physical distancing and other health guidelines during the pandemic. A rally organized in July at the Sundial Bridge drew thousands.

Moty said its important for the county to keep pressuring Bethel to do the right thing and follow health guidelines.

Baugh said at the start of the outbreak at the School of Supernatural Ministry, health officials danced around it when they could have been more forthright with the public.

We cant be afraid to talk about things in a very transparent way if were going to salvage our community and be healthy as a community. We have to talk about these things, he said.

Health and Human Services Agency Director Donnell Ewert told supervisors during his last conversation with Vallotton, the BSSM director told him Bethels leadership is not of one mind.

Ewert said he asked Vallotton if the churchs leadership could come up with a united message about the importance of wearing masks and social distancing because it would help the community.

And he told me he couldnt do it because they are not of one mind, Ewert said.

Moty told Ewert he found that unsettling.

That disturbs me very much to hear that they cant control different aspects of their organization for the good of public health in Shasta County. Thats really bad, Moty said.

David Benda coversbusiness, developmentand anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street"column.Hes part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, coverbreaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribetoday.

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Patience with Bethel Church leadership waning after inconsistent messages on COVID-19 - Record Searchlight

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Ten new COVID-19 deaths were reported on Saturday as South Dakota surpassed more than 10,000 active COVID-19 cases in the state, according to the South Dakota Department of Healths update.

The death toll increased to 366. There have been 143 deaths in October, the deadliest month of the pandemic in South Dakota. The new deaths were six women and four men with three in the 60-69 age range, two in the 70-79 age range and five in the 80+ age range. The new deaths were listed in the following counties: four in Jerauld (11), one in Lincoln (18), one in Meade (10), three in Minnehaha (105) and one in Todd (6).

On Saturday, 939 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing the states total case count to 38,141, up from Friday (37,202).

On Tuesday, the DOH changed its website to not list new total cases on the SD overview tab of its dashboard. KELOLAND News has been counting the number of new total cases since the beginning of the pandemic and will continue to report on the new total cases. There were 852 new PCR cases and 87 new antigen cases announced for 939 new cases Saturday.

Total recovered cases are now at 27,557, up 573 from Friday (26,984).

Active cases are now at 10,218, up from Friday (9,862).

Current hospitalizations are at 356, up from Friday (349). Total hospitalizations are at 2,378, up from Friday (2,336).

Total persons tested negative is now at 205,539, up from Friday (203,800).

There were 2,678 new persons tested reported on Saturday.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 939 total new cases; Death toll rises to 366; Active cases at 10,218 - KELOLAND.com