LTCC will continue to provide free COVID testing to asymptomatic students, staff, and Child Development Center participants and families at least through Thursday, February 24, 2022.

Testing will be available Monday Feb. 14 through Wednesday Feb. 16 from 8am-1:45pm in the Aspen Room (library building). The college is closed for the Lincoln and Washington birthday holidays from Friday, Feb. 18 through Monday, Feb. 21. Testing will be available again from Tuesday Feb. 22 through Thursday Feb. 24. 

Anyone with symptoms should NOT enter campus for any reason. If you have symptoms and want to be tested, come to campus and park in the reserved "COVID Symptomatic" parking zone in front of the library in the main parking lot, then call (530) 541-4660 x154 during testing hours and days for assistance. Staff will meet you at your vehicle.

Every residence in the United States is now eligible to order and receive 4 free at-home rapid antigen COVID tests. Orders usually ship within 7-12 days. Place your order for free at-home COVID tests online through USPS.

LTCC updated its COVID positivity and exposure guidelines to help on-campus students and employees understand what is required if a person tests positive or is exposed to someone with COVID.

LTCC requires that new protocols informed by Cal-OSHA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) be followed by all employees and students on campus. Links to updated protocols are at the top of this page. Here is a quick look at what they describe:

1. If you test positive, stay home for at least 5 days. Once symptoms are resolved and after at least 5 days of isolation, test again with LTCC. If the test is negative, return to campus no sooner than the 6^th day and wear either an N95 or KN95 mask for a full 10 days from the date when symptoms first appeared. Employees must test with the LTCC testing center to be cleared to return to campus. Students are asked to do the same. Notify LTCC of any positive test result.
2. If you are exposed to someone with COVID and are vaccinated, participate in LTCC’s weekly testing. Strictly follow LTCC’s new mask guidelines. If any symptoms develop, stay home.
3. If you are exposed to someone with COVID and are NOT vaccinated, stay home for at least 5 days after your last contact with the infected person(s). After at least 5 days of isolation, test with LTCC if you are symptom-free. If you test negative, you can return to campus no sooner than on the 6^th day. Strictly adhere to LTCC’s masking guidelines on campus.

COVID testing at LTCC is free for all staff and registered students. We are not able to offer testing to community members at this time.

If a student tests positive, they are asked to contact a faculty member and LTCC’s Risk Manager Maryellen Sanchez at sanchez@ltcc.edu as soon as possible. LTCC is focusing contact tracing efforts on identifying positive cases and working with students on identifying a return-to-campus date. Staff is required to notify LTCC of a positive test result and provide a negative result before returning to campus as well. Students are requested to do the same.

The last day for COVID-19 testing on LTCC’s campus was Friday, April 23. Drive-up testing is now available at the Lake Tahoe Airport. Hours there are Tuesday through Saturday, 8am-4pm, closed for lunch from 12pm-1pm. Appointments are recommended but not required. Register online at Logistic Health Inc.'s website, or call 888-713-6111.

California launched a new COVID Rent Relief program to assist tenants and landlords during the pandemic. The program aims to keep people in housing, and to relieve the burden of past rent owed on both renters and landlords. For information or assistance in English, call 833-430-2122. Help is available in other languages via the Rent Relief program webpage.

Effective April 7, El Dorado County is in the less restrictive Orange Tier, moving from the more restrictive Red Tier that it operated under since early March 2021. Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced that June 15 is the target date for California to fully reopen, which it will be able to do as long as current COVID case trends continue. 

Under the Orange Tier, restaurants will be able to operate indoors at 50% capacity, gyms can open at 25% capacity, retailers can open fully with modifications, and movie theaters can reopen at 50% capacity.

Important Updated Information: 

• The CDC issued an updated travel advisory.
• The CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated.
• Gov. Newsom on Higher Education Reopenings here.

To see how the new tier level affects business operations and what tiers California’s counties are currently in, visit the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy website.  

Visit El Dorado County’s Health and Human Services website for the latest press releases and information about the county’s status. For information about COVID cases and deaths in El Dorado, use the county’s interactive COVID-19 dashboard.

El Dorado County moved back from the most restrictive Purple Tier to the less restrictive Red Tier. The shift allows for the return of limited indoor dining and limited use of gyms, movie theaters, and other public indoor gatherings. 

Starting March 3, restaurants can operate indoors at 25% capacity, gyms can operate at 10% capacity, retailers can open with 50% capacity, and movie theaters can reopen at 25% capacity, providing these businesses meet state safety guidelines and follow the guidance for ventilation, filtration, and air quality. The full list of updated industry guidelines and limited openings can be found on the state's COVID website on Industry Guidance.

While the move back to the Red tier is a positive sign, COVID cases and positivity rates remain high. Public health officials continue to stress the critical importance of wearing quality protective facemasks and maintaining social distance while around others to continue to slow the spread of the virus.

State public health officials have removed all regional stay-at-home orders as COVID conditions improve. California will return to ordering restrictions on a county-by-county basis as conditions warrant them. This change allows businesses such as restaurants to resume outdoor operations in many areas. The state is also lifting a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew put in place in November 2020.

On January 13, El Dorado County was released from its regional stay-at-home order while also moving back into the most restrictive Purple Tier 1 of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Moving into the Purple tier 1 allows restaurants to operate outdoors, along with places of worship and wineries, with modifications. Bars and breweries that serve food can also operate outdoors. Hair salons, barbershops and personal care services can operate indoors, but with modifications. To learn more about what Tier 1 means, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.

Lake Tahoe Community College’s current protocols have been within state guidance for the Purple/Widespread tier for institutions of higher education for many months. The college has been operating much more conservatively than what is allowed for in the Orange and Red tiers, and LTCC’s operations are not affected by this move.

Visit El Dorado County’s Health and Human Services website for the latest press releases and information about the county’s status. For information about COVID cases and deaths in El Dorado, use the county’s interactive COVID-19 dashboard.

El Dorado County was released from a regional stay-at-home order while also moving back into the most restrictive Purple Tier 1 of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

The greater Sacramento region that El Dorado is part of was removed from the stay-home order based on a four-week projection putting the region’s intensive care unit capacity at 19.1%, which is above the 15% threshold that originally triggered the order.

Moving into the Purple tier 1 allows restaurants to operate outdoors, along with places of worship and wineries, with modifications. Bars and breweries that serve food can also operate outdoors. Hair salons, barbershops and personal care services can operate indoors, but with modifications. To learn more about what Tier 1 means, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.

Lake Tahoe Community College’s current protocols have been within state guidance for the Purple/Widespread tier for institutions of higher education for many months. The college has been operating much more conservatively than what is allowed for in the Orange and Red tiers, and LTCC’s operations are not affected by this move.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the new stay home orders and the way they’d be calculated on December 3, tying restrictions to hospital bed availability. Supplemental orders clarifying what this means for businesses were released on Dec. 6.

Visit El Dorado County’s Health and Human Services website for the latest press releases and information about the county’s status. For information about COVID cases and deaths in El Dorado, use the county’s interactive COVID-19 dashboard.

Due to limited intensive care unit bed availability at regional hospitals and a four-week projection showing increased coronavirus spread, the greater Sacramento region is remaining under the governor’s stay-at-home order.

The state of California considers El Dorado County part of the greater Sacramento region, and it joined 12 other counties that were put under stay-at-home orders on December 10 for a minimum of three weeks. Once a region’s four-week ICU projection shows a capacity of greater than or equal to 15%, the order can be lifted. The greater Sacramento region is still below 15% staffed ICU bed availability. This percentage is what the state uses to determine if more restrictions are needed due to a lack of available hospital beds for COVID patients.

If ICU bed availability does not improve to above 15% for the region, the order will continue to be renewed until bed availability improves enough to meet COVID patient demand.

El Dorado County and the greater Sacramento region is under a more restrictive Stay At Home Order at least through the end of December. The move is due to regional availability of staffed hospital ICU beds falling below 15% - the percentage the state uses to determine if more restrictions are needed due to a lack of available hospital beds for COVID patients.

The county will remain in this category for a minimum of three weeks. If ICU bed availability does not improve to above 15%, the order will be renewed for another three weeks, and so on until hospital bed availability improves enough to meet the COVID patient demand. Currently, El Dorado is at 13.3%. It remains in Purple Tier 1.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the new Stay At Home orders on Dec. 3, tying restrictions to hospital bed availability. Supplemental orders clarifying what this means for restaurants and other businesses were released on Dec. 6. These restrictions mostly affect outdoor recreational facilities, retail stores, shopping centers, hotels and lodging, and restaurants.

California issued a Limited Stay at Home order for counties in Tier 1 Purple/Widespread starting Nov. 21. Curfew hours are 10 p.m.-5 a.m. The curfew requires that all gatherings with members of other households and all activities conducted outside the residence, lodging, or temporary accommodation with members of other households cease between these hours, except for activities associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or required by law.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans against traveling for the holidays. The CDC states that the safest way to celebrate is to limit your exposure only to people living in your household.

California also issued new mask wearing guidance, requiring everyone over the age of 2 to wear a mask or face covering when outside their own home. Visit the state’s COVID-19 website for more information about the new mask requirements.

California released new COVID-19 tier assignments, moving El Dorado County into Tier 1 Purple/Widespread starting Tuesday, November 17 at noon. The move comes as the state experiences the worst surge in positive cases since the coronavirus pandemic started. The move to Purple affects indoor dining, places of worship, gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, bowling alleys and museums, and bars, pubs, and wineries.

Information about tiers and how they affect businesses and schools is on the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy website.

The California Department of Public Health issued a travel advisory for non-essential travel due to a spike in ​COVID-19 cases statewide. People arriving in California from other states or countries, including returning California residents, should practice self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival and limit interactions to immediate household members only. Californians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Read the CDPH Non-Essential Travel Advisory for details. 

El Dorado County will soon hear back on a state decision about whether the county can remain in the Orange/Moderate tier or move to a more restrictive Red/Substantial tier based on positive COVID-19 cases.

County health staff took steps to have the state of California adjudicate the matter, allowing El Dorado to temporarily remain in the Orange tier until a final determination is made. County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams has indicated that El Dorado is likely to move to the Red tier on Tuesday, Nov. 17 when a determination from the state is expected. Furthermore, local positive case trends suggest that another move up to the even more restrictive Purple/Widespread tier is possible in the near future based on current positive case trends.

If or when El Dorado moves to the Red tier, the primary impact would be on restaurants, bars, wineries, and churches. These establishments would have to reduce indoor capacity from 50 percent to 25 percent. Hair salons, barber shops and personal services may remain open indoors with modifications.

LTCC’s current protocols are within state guidance for the Purple/Widespread tier for institutions of higher education. The college has been operating much more conservatively than what is allowed for in the Orange tier. For the immediate future, whether El Dorado County moves to Red or subsequently to Purple, LTCC’s operations will not be affected.

For information about El Dorado’s tier status, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.

Thanks to fewer positive cases of COVID-19, El Dorado County has moved from the more restrictive Red tier to the Orange tier effective immediately. Case rates in El Dorado fell to a level that allowed the move to a less restrictive closure tier. The move potentially allows many businesses to reopen that have been closed since March 2020.

County public health officials are urging residents to continue doing all of the things that led to a drop in COVID-19 cases: maintaining social distances of at least 6 feet, minimizing contact with non-household members, washing hands frequently and effectively, and wearing face masks fully over the nose and mouth while in public to reduce the spread of the virus.

For information about El Dorado’s tier status, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.

The California Department of Public Health and Cal/OSHA has issued new, temporary guidelines and considerations intended to help institutions of higher education and their communities plan and prepare to resume in-person instruction. This guidance is interim, and is based on the best available public health data at this time, international best practices currently employed, and the practical realities of managing operations; as new data and practices emerge, the guidance will be updated.

As A Reminder: LTCC has established On-Campus Work Protocols that must be followed by any and all essential employees currently working on campus. These protocols are meant to keep employees who must work on campus during the pandemic as safe as possible.

California is putting additional focus on protecting essential workers who are at greater risk of COVID-19 exposure. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently acknowledged that essential workers, who are disproportionately represented by the Latinx community, are the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic currently. Newsom announced new safeguards to provide better protection for these workers.

El Dorado County launched a new, bilingual, interactive dashboard that provides a more comprehensive look and additional data points to show how the COVID-19 virus is impacting our immediate area. El Dorado's new county COVID dashboard is updated daily.

LTCC will continue operating as a testing site for the active virus through August 2020. Any county resident may get a free test at LTCC’s Physical Education building regardless of their immigration or medical insurance status. You must make an appointment to get a test. To register for an appointment online, visit the Logistics Health Incorporated test site, or call 888-634-1123 if you do not have Internet access. Patients who test positive will be contacted by telephone by a nurse. Testing days and hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 7am-12pm and 1pm-7pm, closed Sundays and Mondays.

All Californians are now required to wear face coverings in high-risk public settings as the state reopens in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order regarding face masks on Thursday, June 18. The order follows new guidance from California’s Department of Public Health based on the ability of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people to spread the disease.

A PDF of the new face coverings guidance and its limited exceptions is available at the Governor's COVID-19 website.

El Dorado County is one of two counties in California to get the go-ahead from Gov. Gavin Newsom to reopen certain businesses, including dine-in restaurants and retail stores. The Stage 2 reopening requires businesses to have plans in place, including physical distancing, to protect the public and employees from COVID-19. Businesses that can reopen with some constraints in place include restaurants, laundromats and dry cleaners, auto repair shops, pet grooming salons, and office-based workplaces that cannot provide for remote work for their employees.

A press release with full detail is available on El Dorado County’s website.

As of midday on May 12, El Dorado had tested 3,324 people with 60 confirmed cases. Twenty of those are in the Lake Tahoe region. For updates on COVID-19 cases, visit the county’s Health & Human Services webpage.

LTCC will help greatly increase coronavirus testing in California by serving as an appointment-only testing site center starting Tuesday, May 5. The Physical Education Building on campus will be used as one of two COVID-19 test sites in El Dorado County. This follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement to add more than 80 community COVID-19 testing sites, allowing the state to go from approximately 16,000 tests per day to upwards of 80,000.

LTCC will operate as a testing site for a minimum of two months, with a capacity of 132 tests per day. To register for an appointment online, visit the Logistics Health Incorporated test site, or call 888-634-1123. Test results take 48-72 hours. Patients who test positively will be contacted by telephone by a nurse.

Testing days and hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, 7am to 12pm and 1pm to 7pm, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Please read LTCC's full press release about its testing center capabilities and safety protocols for more information.

El Dorado County's stay-at-home directive expired on April 30. However, nothing has materially changed: California Governor Gavin Newsom's Stay-At-Home order is still in place. All state residents are to continue to follow the governor’s order, which supersedes county directives.

• Non-essential businesses that have been closed from March 19-April 30 are to remain closed.
• Non-essential activities residents haven’t been allowed to participate in from March 19-April 30 are still prohibited.
• Non-essential travel bans that were in place on April 30 remain in place.

Please read the county's FAQs about sheltering in place for more information.

El Dorado County has extended its shelter-in-place directive until Thursday, April 30. Residents are asked to stay in their residences during this time except for “essential activities.”

As of Tuesday evening March 31, there were 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county with approximately 100 test results still pending. Additional tests from Barton Health continue to be sent to the county. Cases have now been identified around the lake, including in South Lake Tahoe. The latest updates from the county are posted to the county Health and Human Services website.

Any residents of South Lake Tahoe, Meyers, Stateline, Zephyr Cove, Incline Village, Glenbrook, and other communities around the lake who are showing symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, or unusual muscle aches should call Barton’s Health Line at (530) 600-1999.

El Dorado County announced 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including in-community cases. The virus is present on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore and in South Lake Tahoe. Help to flatten the curve! Please:

• Continue to follow state and county directives about sheltering in place. You should only leave your residence for essential needs.
• Maintain social distancing measures when shopping for essentials or out walking. Keep a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others at all times.
• Continue good hygiene practices. Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water, use tissues that you throw immediately away for coughs and sneezes, avoid sick people, and keep your hands off your face.