ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Orange County has declared a local emergency and a local health emergency to prepare for COVID-19, more commonly known as novel coronavirus. OC's declaration follows similar declarations from San Diego County and the City of San Francisco.

“The County of Orange and our County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick have declared a local emergency. We have issued these declarations in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s comments on COVID-19 yesterday, along with the possibility of active COVID-19 patients being brought to Fairview Developmental Center in my district in Costa Mesa,” said Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Second District. “Although there are currently no cases of coronavirus in Orange County, my goal is to ensure all residents and visitors to Orange County as well as all of our resources can be prepared in the event of an outbreak.”

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The declaration comes despite the fact that there has only been one confirmed case of the virus in Orange County, and that individual has since recovered.

In a statement, the county said that the "declaration of both a local emergency and a local health emergency assists the County of Orange to better leverage resources in order to prepare to our staffing needs and greater agency coordination." 

County officials working for the OC Health Care Agency are continuing to engage and monitor the evolving worldwide response to COVID-19.

“With 60 U.S. cases of coronavirus, we are facing a real-life crisis that must be managed. I support an emergency declaration, not because I necessarily believe the public is in more danger, but because the federal and state governments refuse to give us enough information to discharge our public health responsibilities," said Supervisor Donald P. Wagner. "Orange County is a major tourist destination with a robust business sector, the sheer number of visitors and residents traveling to and from Orange County is significant. We want to be vigilant in ensuring the County is prepared and has sufficient resources to prevent and combat any possible outbreak of COVID-19.” 

Should more COVID-19 cases occur in the county, the OC Health Care Agency said it intends to share that information with community members, medical providers, and colleagues at the California Department of Public Health and the CDC.

There have been 60 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States.

Orange County residents who want the latest county updates on COVID-19 are encouraged to visit: ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/epidasmt/epi/dip/prevention/novel_coronavirus

In a related story, JetBlue Airline announced that it would be waiving change and cancellation fees for all JetBlue fares for customers who book over the next two weeks and decide to cancel or alter their travel plans over concerns about the virus.