Truckee Declared Coronavirus 'Hotspot'; Part-Time Residents Asked To Shelter-In-Place Somewhere Else
TRUCKEE (CBS13) — A Nevada County Supervisor is sounding the alarm, asking owners of second homes in the Truckee area to follow stay-at-home orders in their primary residences, away from Truckee.
"If you are now residing in Nevada County, and have another home in an area with a higher-capacity healthcare system, our public health officer advises that you may be better off returning to that home to shelter in place," Nevada County Supervisor Richard Anderson said.
The Tahoe Forest Hospital CEO Harry Weis is calling Truckee a hotspot for coronavirus cases right now, saying the health care system may become overwhelmed. Weis reports there are now 46 positive coronavirus lab tests to date, making the Truckee area nine times hotter per capita than the rest of California.
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"I have described it as a hotspot," Weis said. "In early March we had this great snow and what I saw happen is we lit up like a fire, in early March."
Truckee's Tahoe Forest hospital only has 25 beds — 44 at surge capacity. The small facility could easily be overrun with coronavirus patients if the numbers continue to climb.
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"We really want to protect the health and safety of our community here," Weis said.
The county message to second-home owners to stay at their primary residences would have a big impact. Of the 14,000 homes in the Truckee area, half are owned by part-time residents or second-home owners.
This favorite getaway for so many Californians now declared a coronavirus hotspot. Those who can are urged to keep out.