On December 27, 2022, the members of the Sierra County Grand Jury for 2022, filed their report with Heather Foster, Clerk-Recorder for Sierra County.

In the introduction to what may be the most succinct Grand Jury report ever presented in Sierra County’s history, we are told the Grand Jury understood their mandate entailed an evaluation of the ‘regular’ functioning of county departments and officers, as well as investigating and reporting on any extraordinary circumstances within county departments or involving county officers.

To this end, the Grand Jury – composed of Carrie Blakley (Foreperson) of Downieville, Nina Tucker (Pro Tem) of Loyalton, Allison Gunier (Secretary) of Loyalton, Davey Scott (Communications Officer) of Sierra City, Don Yegge of Sierra Brooks, Jim Kelley of Loyalton, Susan Kelley of Loyalton, and Tony Tucker of Loyalton, California – chose to investigate the county’s response to the COVID pandemic, a extraordinary circumstance and major issue in Sierra County, the rest of the country, and the entire world, in early 2020, and throughout 2021.

This investigation took the form of interviews with representatives from county agencies, as well as readily available documentation on the Sierra County Website and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Websit, and it revealed:

• The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) handled calls a little differently including citations and temporary release when warranted to minimize inmates in close proximity to one another in the jail. Deputies followed protocols including masks, distancing when possible and testing. When many of the officers contacted COVID, others filled the duties by working overtime to ensure there was not a shortfall within the department.
• The SCSO implemented mandatory COVID precautions including the use of N95 masks, rubber gloves and eye protection. If a situation arose with an uncooperative person who was spitting, spit masks were used and, if necessary, netting. Hand sanitizer was a standard and was used to minimize the risk or COVID, refraining from alcohol-based hand sanitizer for alcohol-related cases as it absorbs into the skin. In those cases, soap and water were used.
• The Sierra County Health Department (SCHD) followed the CDC guidelines and administered mandates and issued quarantine orders to citizens that either tested positive for COVID-19 or were in the same household. Although quarantine orders were issued and masks were mandated, the SCSO did not enforce the orders. They were available to serve paperwork but did not police any orders or mandates on the communities or their citizens.
• As soon as available, the SCHD offered and encouraged its citizens, especially those at risk, to vaccinate against COVID-19 and set up drive-up COVID-19 testing facilities.
• There was much controversy in the community over the mandate of masks and the possibility of mandated vaccination. The SCHD continued to follow CDC guidelines.
• There were strange changes to tourism in Sierra County during the pandemic. As travel bans increased in the larger cities, tourism increased in Sierra County. People wanted to get away and many chose to avoid the threat of COVID by visiting smaller, less populated communities such as those found in Sierra County. We saw an increase in car clubs and off-road recreation. With that there was an increase in car crashes, accidents and hospital visits. By 2022 things settled down. The increase in visitors ended up not being a burden on our resources but it was something that had to be taken into consideration for contingency planning.
• Fortunately for our county, we received approximately $560,000 in COVID Relief Funds (CARES Act), which paid for a large portion of the Sheriff’s personnel and two new vehicles.

In conclusion, the Grand Jury of 2022 made the following findings:

1. The Sierra County Health Department, in conjunction with the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services were not prepared for a pandemic, such as COVID-19 that first surfaced in May 2020, nor was the rest of the state, country or world.
2. The Sierra County Health Department, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office and the Offices of Emergency Services acted quickly to protect the citizens of this county.
3. Due to the quick response by Sierra County officials to the pandemic, the effects of COVID-19 were minimized, and Sierra County had the lowest death rate per capita.