The rapidly spreading novel flu-like virus joins more typical concerns, namely water and water policy, before the Butte County Board of Supervisors.
With public health officials saying they’re now monitoring three possible cases in Butte County, the board is expected to ratify a declaration of a local health emergency issued Friday by the county’s public health officer. The local designation frees up funding and allows officials to reassign employees.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require local authorities to monitor the spread of the ailment and prepare plans for “managing” individuals that have been exposed.
According to the CDC, symptoms appear between two days and two weeks after exposure. State officials at last count said 114 people have tested positive in California. Close to 1,000 Californians disembarking from the Grand Princess cruise ship in Oakland will be held for testing and quarantine at Travis Air Force Base near Marysville.
The board will also consider removing a member of the county’s water commission. The member sought backing from the Chico chamber of commerce for a proposal linking Paradise Irrigation and California Water Service’s Chico Division, before the Water Commission, or a subcommittee had reviewed the project.
Additionally, the board will hear a report about the proposed Delta bypass water tunnel from Department of Water Resources officials. The board has been critical of earlier versions of the plan, warning the project could deprive local growers, while shunting more water to areas further south.