We’re living in a time of uncertainty and confusion, and are naturally concerned about our loved ones and ourselves, but Covid-19 is hitting all of us hard. As this pandemic progresses, we’ll continue to cull reliable sources, list closures and cancellations, and brief on breaking news relevant to Marin. Please understand that things are changing constantly and we are trying to do our best to provide important, accurate information without scaring you.
We’d also like to shine a light on those helping out during this unnerving time and will be sharing positive news stories, as well as suggestions of things to do to stay safe and help keep you grounded. We’re all in this together. Restaurants, retailers and other local businesses in the community are also being affected. Support Marin’s amazing local and small businesses however you feel comfortable doing so — whether it’s picking up, buying online, or getting a gift card for later use. If you have questions about the local Covid-19 situation or suggestions for our coverage, please email me at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll find here regarding Covid-19:
- Local News updates
- Local and Global resources
- Suggestions to Help Keep You Safe and Sane
How it started in Marin and the current state
Marin County’s initial introduction to the novel coronavirus was at the end of February, when an individual was transported to a Marin hospital from Travis Air Force Base from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined off Japan. In early March, the first county resident with the virus — a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship — was confirmed. On March 11, two additional Marin residents tested positive for COVID-19. Both individuals lived with the Grand Princess traveler. The newly diagnosed cases had been isolated in their home and are experiencing mild symptoms but do not require hospitalization. Two additional cases of coronavirus were confirmeon Saturday, March 14, bringing the total number to five. The two new cases had no known exposure to other cases, and are believed to be a result of community spread — the first in the county.
A local health emergency has been up in place in order as a precautionary action. “Nearly one [in] three Marin residents is over age 60. It’s especially important to protect our seniors from infection,” Dr. Lisa Santora, Deputy Public Health Officer, said. “Older adults and those with other existing medical vulnerabilities are at the greatest risk for severe disease if infected with COVID-19.” More cases in Marin are “fully expect(ed)” according to Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Public Health Officer, who has since contracted the virus himself. “Given the number of cases in the Bay Area, we will see transmission within our community. Our ultimate goal is to limit the trajectory of Covid-19.” As of now all schools in the county are closed, and on Tuesday, March 17 Governor Gavin Newsom said most schools would be out until fall. On Monday, March 16, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a shelter-in-place ordinance that would last through April 7, and on Thursday, March 19, Governor Gavin Newson extended the mandate to cover the entire state of California. Newly tightened restrictions including mandatory social distancing when operating essential businesses, the closure of non-essential aspects of essential businesses and an extension of the shelter-in-place mandate until May 3, 2020 were announced on Tuesday, March 31. Playgrounds, dog parks, public picnic areas and other shared recreational spaces like rock climbing walls also must now close down as well.
As of Sunday, March 14, 170 Marin residents have died as a result of the virus and 11,209 have been infected. This does not include the 2,236 inmates and staff at San Quentin State Prison who are currently infected.
Please follow our Instagram @marinmagazine for updates and check out our stories for the most recent info from local businesses and restaurants.
We will be updating this page as the community continues to be impacted.
Daily Updates from Trusted Local New Sources
Local and global resources
- KQED COVID-19: What You Need to Know
- Marin County Human and Health Services
- Marin Drive-Thru Test Site
- CDC Guidelines
- World Health Organization (WHO) Info
- What is Coronavirus (New York Times)
- Important Virus charts via Vox
Suggestions to Help Keep You Sane
- The Healing Effects of Forest Bathing
- Build Strength and Balance (Yoga pose)
- Best Books of 2019
- Marie Kondo Cleaning Method
- How to Garden: Growing Groceries
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
