By The Leader Staff
Kings County Health Department takes actions to deal with 'drastic rise' in COVID-19 cases

Kings County health officials are reporting a drastic rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, which now surpass an average of 250 cases per day, and are taking action to deal with the influx of cases.

The Kings County Department of Public Health (KCDPH), to continue providing individualized case management to the cases at highest risk for severe complications from the disease, effective as of January 14, 2022, the KCDPH will no longer issue individual isolation orders for COVID-19 cases or household contacts.

COVID-positive individuals and close contacts may now access local isolation orders on the KCDPH website: https://www.kcdph.com/isolation-quarantine

“Our hope is that making the shift to online orders will allow the public more immediate access to the information they need and allow us to continue providing individualized support where it is needed most,” said Interim Public Health Director Darcy Pickens. “We recognize these are once again difficult times in the pandemic and encourage the public to isolate at home when sick, mask in public spaces, and consider vaccination, including boosters. These are still the best tools to slow transmission in our community.”

Isolation and quarantine timelines vary based on individual health status, symptoms, vaccination status, and occupation (during critical staffing shortages).

All individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home based on the self-release criteria included in local public health orders and any additional advice from their medical provider. The Department will continue to send text messages from California’s Virtual Agent (VA) system in an effort to gather additional COVID-19 case data and provide individualized resources and support as needed.

The Virtual Agent message comes from the phone number 233-93. If the survey is incomplete, the individual may receive a call from (916) 262-7553. This is not a scam - your health department will be able to identify themselves, and they may ask to verify who you are by asking for a birthdate or an address. 

As cases continue to rise among residents and employers face critical staff shortages, KCDPH is diverting resources to ensure that COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and support remain available. Over 10,000 at-home antigen tests were distributed to the public in Kings County this week alone, and demand for COVID-19 testing statewide has reached unprecedented levels. For information on local testing sites and availability of at-home test kits, visit https://www.kcdph.com/getcovidtest.