Item 26 - Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan

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Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2022 Epidemic/Pandemic/Vector-Borne Disease Hazards - 93 - experienced fever and mild respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, runny nose, and congestion. In some cases, symptoms were severe and included diarrhea, chills, and vomiting, and in rare cases respiratory failure occurred. The H1N1 virus caused relatively few deaths in humans. In the United States, for example, it caused fewer deaths (between 8,870 and 18,300) than seasonal influenza, which, based on data for the years 2014–2019, causes an average of about 40,000 deaths each year. The H1N1 virus was most lethal in individuals affected by chronic disease or other underlying health conditions. As demonstrated historically and currently, pandemic influenza has the potential to cause serious illness and death among people of all age groups and have a major impact on society. These societal impacts include significant economic disruption that can occur due to death, loss of employee work time, and costs of treating or preventing the spread of influenza. Novel Coronavirus Beginning in 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control responded to a pandemic of severe respiratory disease spreading from person to person caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. The disease was named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”). Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). According to the CDC, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to- person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Most international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID- 19, as does the United States. On March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in the California in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which was followed by an executive order directing all residents immediately to heed current State public health directives to stay home, except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of essential critical infrastructure sectors. As of March 9, 2021, 80% of the state was still considered widespread risk, with many non-essential indoor business operations closed.