The Alameda County Public Health Department sends out Health Alerts, Advisories, and Updates regarding communicable disease outbreaks, immunization updates, and other public health concerns to Alameda County clinicians and other partners. See recent releases below.
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Health Alerts
| ALERT | conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention. |
| ADVISORY | provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action. |
| UPDATE | provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action. |
August 07, 2020 |
Update |
Interim Guidance on Testing for SARS-CoV-2 before Non-Urgent Surgical, Dental, and Diagnostic Procedures During the COVID-19 epidemic in Alameda County, urgent medical and dental procedures have continued in both outpatient and inpatient settings. On May 13, 2020, the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) released a Health Advisory encouraging medical and dental providers gradually to resume non-urgent clinical services, with several important caveats. While there is active transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Alameda County, ACPHD recommends that facilities, medical, and dental providers implement policies and strategies that include screening of all patients for symptoms of COVID-19 and selective preprocedural testing of patients undergoing non-emergent surgical, dental, or diagnostic procedures that may involve intubation or the generation of biological aerosols.
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July 29, 2020 |
Update |
Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Release from Home Isolation Guidance Following a COVID-19 Infection This document describes updated guidance for releasing a person from home isolation or removing a patient or resident of a healthcare facility from Transmission-based Precautions for COVID-19. The test-based strategy, previously described as an option for ending isolation, should no longer be considered except in very specific circumstances and after consultation with an infectious disease expert. |
July 07, 2020 |
Advisory |
FDA Issues Warning About Hand Sanitizer Containing Methanol On July 5, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a Health Advisory indicating that serious adverse events have been observed in persons using methanol-based hand sanitizers. The CDC advises consumers not to use any hand sanitizer that has been recalled by the FDA due to the potential presence of methanol, a “toxic alcohol”, as an active ingredient. Methanol can cause blindness and/or death when absorbed through the skin or when swallowed. Currently, most of the recalled products are manufactured in Mexico. |
June 17, 2020 |
Advisory |
Updated COVID-19 Healthcare Provider Reporting Requirements for Alameda County Positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for current SARS-CoV-2 infection — not antibody or antigen tests — must be reported to the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD). This Advisory updates reporting requirements for Alameda County Providers and Laboratories. |
June 17, 2020 |
Advisory |
Updated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Updated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Healthcare Provider Reporting Requirements for Alameda County In accordance with a recent CDC health advisory and as first discussed in the 5/20/20 ACPHD Health Advisory, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 is reportable to Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD). This Advisory updates reporting requirements for Alameda County Clinicians, Emergency Departments, Pathologists, and Healthcare Facilities. |
May 21, 2020 |
Advisory |
Discontinuation of COVID-19 Transmission-Based Precautions Guidance for Alameda County Patients and residents at Acute Care Hospitals and Long Term Care Facilities in Alameda County with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection must be isolated or in an appropriate cohort using Transmission-Based Precautions for the duration of their infectious period. Federal guidance for removal of Transmission-Based Precautions offers several different strategies to determine the end of the infectious period. This Advisory describes the criteria that must be met to discontinue Transmission-Based Precautions for patients and residents with suspected or confirmed infection with COVID-19, including individuals who have been diagnosed with asymptomatic infection. |
May 20, 2020 |
Advisory |
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 is now reportable to Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD). Report cases meeting CDC’s case definition for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) within 24 hours to the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) at (510) 267-3250, Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 5 pm. After hours and on weekends, call Alameda County Fire Dispatch at (925) 422- 7595 and ask to speak to the Public Health Duty Officer on call. Laboratory results must be reported by Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR), fax or secure email within 24 hours. Please make sure to report as completely as possible, including race and ethnicity information. |
May 13, 2020 |
Advisory |
Resumption of Non-Urgent Health Care Services in Alameda County As Alameda County continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, providers and facilities are encouraged to gradually resume full scope of services when possible and safe to do so, based on California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) guidance. |
May 12, 2020 |
Advisory |
Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance for Alameda County The following updated guidance for COVID-19 laboratory testing is intended to inform Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) efforts to control the epidemic and aid decision-making by clinicians and other testing providers. The guidance sets out groups that should be prioritized for testing but it is not a requirement to test in these groups. Testing decisions and policies must be flexible to account for ongoing limitations in testing resources and protective equipment. Clinical judgment should be used to guide testing of symptomatic persons. ACPHD typically issues additional testing guidance for certain settings and situations, including outbreaks. |
April 08, 2020 |
Advisory |
New COVID-19 Healthcare Provider Reporting Requirements for Alameda County As of April 7, 2020, a total of 602 COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths have been reported among Alameda County residents, excluding the City of Berkeley. Although the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) continues to conduct individual COVID-19 case and contact investigations, we are prioritizing public health resources towards investigations in settings (e.g., long-term care facilities) or among persons (e.g., healthcare providers or first responders) where there is concern for ongoing transmission. To ensure that ACPHD prioritizes resources for public health investigations, effective April 8, 2020 we have modified our County’s COVID-19 reporting requirements for healthcare providers as summarized in tjhis Health Advisory. For more information on testing specifics, please see the full ACPHD Health Advisory: |
April 03, 2020 |
Advisory |
Health Care Providers to Disseminate ACPHD Isolation and Quarantine Orders to Patients with Suspected COVID-19 The Alameda County Health Officer issued blanket isolation orders that will apply to all persons diagnosed with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and blanket quarantine orders that will apply to close contacts of cases. Effective 4/3/20, Alameda County Public Health Department directs Alameda County health care partners to disseminate blanket orders to all patients being tested for COVID-19 or who are presumptively diagnosed with COVID-19 without testing BEFORE they leave the health care facility. Alameda County healthcare providers should use the procedure described in the Update to request COVID-19 testing by our Public Health Lab (ACPHL). Please limit testing requests by phone to the hours 9am-5pm, 7 days per week. For more information on testing specifics, please see the full ACPHD Health Advisory: |
March 06, 2020 |
Update |
COVID-19 Testing Changes Alameda County healthcare providers should direct COVID-19 testing to commercial laboratories and other non-public health laboratories now offering COVID-19 testing. Providers may determine which patients are suspect COVID-19 cases using clinical judgement but should alert Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) regarding the priority cases listed below. ACPHD approval is no longer needed for testing. Alameda County healthcare providers should use the procedure described in the Update to request COVID-19 testing by our Public Health Lab (ACPHL). Please limit testing requests by phone to the hours 9am-5pm, 7 days per week. For more information on testing specifics, please see the full ACPHD Health Update: |