Tulare County Public Health Branch Announces Third Death Related to 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The County of Tulare Public Health Branch confirms the third death from COVID-19 in the county. The patient passed away on April 1, 2020 and was our 25^th confirmed positive. The individual was hospitalized and had other contributing health issues that may have played a factor.

“We offer our sincere condolences to the friends and family who lost their loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Karen Haught, Tulare County Public Health Officer. “As we continue to see cases rise, Tulare County residents must adhere to guidelines.”

Tulare County residents must follow these guidelines:

• Stay at home
• Go out only for essential items such as groceries and medical needs/prescriptions
• Limit outings to no more than 2 individuals
• Wash your hands and disinfect surfaces frequently

The Tulare County Public Health Branch continues to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and our local partners as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

Again, we ask community members to follow the governor’s stay-at-home order to “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Please take action to protect yourself from COVID-19 by following guidance concerning health hygiene, such as staying home, social distancing when shopping for essential goods, washing hands, covering coughs/sneezes, staying home when ill, and avoiding sick people, along with frequently washing surfaces with regular home cleaners.

The Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency is diligent about the protection of patient privacy, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and for this reason we cannot release any other information about the patient. The information we release about the positive COVID-19 cases in Tulare County is carefully curated to provide useful information to our community members, while also excluding information that would lead to the identification of patients. This is a protection, provided by law, that is extended to everyone.

Updates continue to be available on our website: www.tchhsa.org.