Marin County Public Health Status Update for April 19, 2024, includes Beach Water Monitoring Season; Diabetes Awareness Day Promotes Health Equity; Tick Testing Services; Cross Sector Response to Avian Flu; and COVID-19 Data Update.
The Marin County Public Health Status Update is published weekly to share news and resources related to pandemic response and recovery, emergency preparedness, and other public health priorities.
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Beach Water Monitoring Season is Underway
To protect Marin County residents, Environmental Health Services (EHS) monitors water quality in recreational areas countywide. 27 Marin County fresh and saltwater sites are sampled once a week from April 1 through October 31, and warning signs are posted when bacterial standards exceed state standards. When results merit wider public warnings, a Public Health advisory is issued. Visit EHS’s Ocean and Bay Water Quality Testing Program to learn where samples are obtained and view weekly results.
Diabetes Awareness Day Promotes Health Equity
Driven by racial disparities, Marin's Black residents have the lower life expectancy than county averages. The Southern Marin Community Response Team is tackling this issue head on through strategic planning community-engagement. In a new partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the team will be hosting Diabetes Awareness Day on Tuesday, April 23 from 3-7 p.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City. The drop-in event will include free diabetes testing, education, and consultations; a healthy cooking demo; and raffles. To hear more about the importance of this community event, watch this message from Marin County Cooperation Team's partners.
Tick Testing Services
About 400 ticks are sent annually by Marin residents for testing at the regional Public Health Laboratory, run jointly by Marin, Napa, Yolo, Mendocino, and Solano counties and located in Fairfield. About 2 percent of these ticks carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the organism that causes Lyme Disease. Procedures for collecting, packaging, and mailing ticks are available at Public Health Laboratory Services | Marin Health and Human Services (marinhhs.org) and from the regional laboratory’s Tick Identification and Lyme Disease Testing webpage. The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District offers helpful tick bite prevention tips.
Cross Sector Response to Avian Flu
Because H5N1 Avian Influenza impacts wildlife birds, poultry, cattle, and humans, the response requires coordination between agriculture, commerce and public health. Next week, Marin County Public Health will be joining the Marin Agricultural Commission and representatives from the Marin Humane Society and cattle and poultry sectors to ensure early identification and mitigation should HPAI occur among local cattle. No local cases beyond birds have been reported, and Marin Public Health will continue to provide updates.
COVID-19 Data Update
Below is a snapshot of local COVID-19 data. Find a more in-depth analysis of COVID-19 trends on the Marin Data & Surveillance webpage, our Data FAQ, or Marin County's Open Data Portal.
| Actively Circulating Variants | JN.1 |
|---|
| Marin County COVID-19 Hospitalizations | Today’s Report |
|---|---|
|
Hospitalized Patients |
6 |
|
ICU Patients |
0 |
| Settings Experiencing Outbreaks | Today’s Report |
|---|---|
|
Long-Term Care and Congregate Living Facilities |
3 |
|
Schools and Childcare |
0 |
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