Star on stage
C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
EDHS alum earns acting award nomination. Friday, May 22, 2020
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News, Etc. B1
Volume 169 • Issue 60 | 75¢
COVID-19 contact tracing taking place Two coronavirus cases lead to at least five more
n
Dylan Svoboda Staff writer Once someone in California tests positive for COVID-19 precautions are initiated to take care of the patient and curb further spread of the virus. Depending on the severity of symptoms, the individual will be asked to selfquarantine or seek medical
help. happening in El Dorado West Slope. Both patients Next the county’s “contact County. This week the continued working while ill tracing” team will launch an county’s contact tracing team and spread the illness to those investigation into in close proximity each positive test. either at home or in “The most important message from A contact tracer’s the workplace, said job is to interview this is people can’t drop their guard,” El Dorado County the patient, figure Public Health — Dr. Nancy Williams, out who they may Officer Dr. Nancy El Dorado County public health officer have been in close Williams. contact with, In one of the cases then inform those contact tracers individuals and advise them got taste of what’s to come. found two positive COVID-19 to get tested. The practice The county opened at cases in the original patient’s is a key weapon in the fight least two COVID-19 case coworkers and one in a family against the coronavirus investigations over last member. outbreak. week, one in the Lake Tahoe In the other case, two Such activities are already region and another on the of the original patient’s
household members tested positive for the virus and those individuals continued working as well. Nine of the original patient’s coworkers tested for the virus and, as of Tuesday, four had gotten negative test results. As of press time, the county was in the process of contacting the household members’ coworkers and advising them to get tested as well. While fingers may immediately point to reopening efforts in the n
See tracing, page A9
Red Hawk An anniversary to remember Casino reopening June 1 n Temperature of employees,
guests to be checked at door
Dylan Svoboda Staff writer More than two months into the coronavirus pandemic-caused shutdown, Red Hawk Casino announced Tuesday its plan to reopen Monday, June 1. The Shingle Springs casino is implementing several safety precautions as it prepares to welcome back guests. The casino will conduct temperature checks at the door on all crew members and guests and require facial protection for everyone inside the casino, according to a press release from Red Hawk. The casino will request guests maintain 6-feet social distancing from others outside their household. Red Hawk is cutting back on the number of slot machines and seating at table games, installing additional hand sanitizing stations and implementing casino-wide chip cleaning. All employees will be retrained on proper handwashing and sanitizing procedures. Employees will also more frequently clean and sanitize commonly touched surfaces. Guests will be able to request additional sanitation at their slot machines. There will be less seating in casino restaurants, disposable paper menus and no self-serve food or beverages upon Red Hawk’s reopening. The casino’s announcement comes just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom asked California tribal casinos to refrain from reopening until the state moves into Stage 3 of his reopening plan. The governor said Monday Stage 3 could be weeks away, barring worsening conditions. The sovereign status of tribal lands puts n
Democrat photos by Kevin Christensen
Family and neighbors, above, brought signs and banged pots and pans to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of Louis and Eileen Samboceti May 16 outside the couple’s home on an otherwise quiet cul de sac in downtown Placerville. The children of the Sambocetis, Kathy Withrow, Lorna Wren and Mitch Samboceti, from left, below, stand in the front yard as their parents take in the festivities from the safety of their porch. Married May 16, 1948, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Sacramento, Eileen and Louis Samboceti, right, moved to Placerville in 1955. The duo owned and operated Hangtown Hardware on Broadway from 1962 to 1985.
See Red Hawk, page A7
Veterans groups press on to honor fallen Memorial Day John Poimiroo Democrat correspondent
Since 1866 Americans have gathered in May to honor soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who died defending the United States of America. Originally called Decoration Day because it was the day people decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, Memorial Day did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. Not since its beginnings has so disrupted a commemoration been held as will occur this year on the last Monday in May. Across the United States Memorial Day ceremonies have been canceled or modified to protect participants and spectators from COVID-19
infection. In El Dorado County no public ceremony will be held Memorial Day at the El Dorado County Veterans Monument. In its place a pre-recorded ceremony conducted by a small force of El Dorado County veterans will be broadcast at 11 a.m. on cable Channel 2 (Sierra Community Access Television) and streamed on El Dorado County veterans Facebook pages (1ElDoradoCountyMilitaryVeterans, EDCVeteransAlliance and eldorado.vets. monument). Retired Air Force Technical Sgt. Gary Campbell, president of the El Dorado County Veterans Alliance — the organization assigned to conducting ceremonies at the Veterans Monument — explained, “Uncertainty over when it would be safe
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again to gather publicly and the fact that many of those who attend are senior and would be at-risk should infectious individuals be present, made it imperative that we find another way to honor our nation’s fallen warriors without putting at risk those who normally attend. That’s why we chose to broadcast and stream a pre-recorded Memorial Day ceremony instead of the usual gathering of up to 1,500 spectators.” Campbell said this year’s abbreviated ceremony will respectfully honor America’s fallen warriors with a flag ceremony, pledge of allegiance, presentation of a wreath, bugler and appropriate remarks. Participating will be veterans from n
See Veterans, page A11
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