Davis library closed Sunday due to low staffing amid COVID surge
DAVIS — A library in Davis will be closed on Sunday due to a staffing shortage after some staff members were exposed to the COVID-19 virus.
The Mary L. Stephens-Davis Branch Library on E 14th Street announced the scheduled family movie event is also canceled. However, the library will remain open after Sunday with the regular open hours.
The library is also cautioning that those who have visited the library or Blanchard Community Room between Monday, August 21, and Thursday, August 24, may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor any symptoms that may develop and get tested.
Over the past several weeks, Yolo County has been monitoring an increase in COVID-19 activity, with similar upticks across California and the US, fueled by summer travels and gatherings.
"The number of cases of COVID-19 has appeared to be increasing, about 10% to 12% and more hospitalizations," said Dr. Dean Blumberg, a pediatric infectious diseases eexpert for UC Davis Health.
And the rise of COVID-19 has brought some concern for the public. Daniel Berman from Davis, like other residents, says he typically wears a mask when he is out in public.
"I try to stay away. I go to Trader Joe's all the time, and I wear a mask. I figured, if I wear a mask, the chances are somewhat less than if I get infected by this thing," said Berman.
Others are more concerned with the new variant, BA.2.86, detected globally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, they are closely tracking the variant. The variant has been tracked in Denmark, The United Kingdom, South Africa, and the U.S. No deaths have been reported, according to the WHO report.