COMMUNITY NEWS
Stay-at-Home Order Lifted; COVID Death Toll 136
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By Jondi Gumz
o speed up California’s fractured COVID-19 vaccine rollout lagging behind most other states, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a new vaccine czar, a statewide eligibility system based on age starting in mid-February, a statewide network to hasten delivery to providers, and a new website, https:// myturn.ca.gov where people can learn when they can get a shot. On Monday, he lifted the stay-at-home order statewide after intensive care unit availability projections surpassing the required 15 percent, bringing some relief to local businesses such as restaurants and hair salons, whose operations had been curbed since Dec. 3 with the goal to slow spread of the contagious coronavirus during the holidays. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 37,500 Californians and 136 Santa Cruz County residents, with the death toll highest at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Locally, 65 percent of deaths are at care homes; 76 percent of those who died had other health conditions. The surge of post-Christmas and postNew Year’s cases seems to be over. In Santa Cruz County, cases per day peaked at 264 on Jan. 4 and have fallen to around 100, comparable to before Thanksgiving. The virus spreads mainly via gatherings of friends and family, and from one household member to another. People living in “overcrowded” conditions — more than one person per room — are particularly susceptible, and such conditions are pervasive in Santa Cruz County, where housing is among the most expensive in the nation. College student rentals are often crowded, and in Watsonville and in the Santa Cruz Beach Flats, multi-generational households are common, or families double up or rent out rooms to afford a place to live. Local COVID hospitalizations are down from a peak of 84 after New Year’s to 58 on Jan. 25, and five people are in ICU beds, down from 20 after New Year’s, giving hope that the worst may be over. When’s My Turn? he vaccine rollout, which started in mid-December and divided responsibility among various groups, hospitals, large medical groups, pharmacies, safety net clinics, and independent providers, left local residents eager for a vaccine in the dark. They asked their neighbors on the
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about allergic reactions, then determined it was safe. People who want a vaccine won’t be able to pick a brand because it depends on what’s available, according to Dr. David Ghilarducci, the Santa Cruz County deputy health officer. Medical Groups arge medical groups such as Dignity Health Dominican Hospital, Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente have been getting their own vaccine supplies but county officials have been in the dark as to how many vaccinations have been given, getting only a total for the corporation as a whole, not a county figure, and not knowing how many vacations have been given at nursing homes via pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens. “It’s kind of a blind spot,” Ghilarducci said. Dominican Hospital shed light on the situation, announcing Friday that it has given 5,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to Phase 1A health care workers in Santa Cruz County. That’s going beyond its own staff. Dominican focused initially on rontline clinical staff, then offered vaccine to all hospital employees and affiliated physicians. As of Friday, nearly 80 percent—more than 2,000 hospital staff members —who wanted the COVID-19 vaccine have received it, with many already having been administered their second and final dose, according to Dominican. More recently, Dominican opened up its vaccination clinics to frontline health care workers across the community -including paramedics/EMTs, hospice workers, behavioral health and safety net clinic staff, mortuary services employees, and staff in local physician offices. All told, the hospital reports nearly 3,000 vaccinations for essential workers. “Our health care team has faced months of unimaginable adversity and exhaustion,” said Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz, president of Dominican Hospital. “Yet, when asked to help get the COVID-19 vaccine to as many of their clinical colleagues in the community as possible, they didn’t think twice. They dug deep and responded with an enthusiasm I didn’t think was possible.” Newel applauded Dominican’s efforts, saying, “They are helping to pave our path out of this historic emergency.”
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Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Sutter Health’s drive-through vaccine clinic at the former flea market on Soquel Drive aims to get doses to health-care workers. social network NextDoor for their insights, puzzled why the distribution was so slow. Part of the problem is the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, so some was held back for that second shot. Everyone knew healthcare workers should be first in line, and in Santa Cruz County that’s 14,700 people in “phase 1A.” When the Trump administration, eight days before leaving office, called for states to allow people age 65 and older and those with health conditions to be eligible, the question on NextDoor became “When is my turn?” California has come up with an answer, using technology from Salesforce and Skedulo, https://myturn.ca.gov. Piloted in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, MyTurn allows people to sign up for a notification of eligibility and schedule a shot when it’s their turn. The official title for vaccine czar Yolanda Jackson is secretary of the Government Operations Agency. She procured personal protective equipment and led the team to transition state employees to work from home. She has health plan leadership experience and is known for her “get it done” style. Supply Shortage ocally, the biggest obstacle to providing vaccine to more people is the unpredictable supply of vaccine. Mimi Hall, director of the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, said one week 200 doses came in, the next week 2,000.
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22 / February 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
As a result, she’s been reluctant to schedule vaccinations for people over 65 and over 75, she said a press conference on Jan. 22. “We don’t have enough supply for everyone who wants one,” she said. To prioritize people in Watsonville, which has 53 percent of the COVID cases, the county started a free drive-through vaccine clinic at the county fairgrounds in Watsonville. Hours will be Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s by appointment. Register at mhealthcheckin. com/covidvaccine to find out if appointments are available. Once the fairgrounds site has a steady supply, Hall expects to be able to vaccinate 1,000 people a day. At that rate, it would take some time to reach the 47,000 county residents who are 65 and older. Hall expects the supply to improve once vaccines by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are available. Johnson & Johnson plans to report next week on its phase 3 clinical trial results of its one-shot vaccine. The UK has approved the one-shot AstraZeneca vaccine, and a clinical trial in the U.S. with nearly 30,000 people is ongoing. Dr. Gail Newel, the Santa Cruz County health officer, expects FDA approval in April or May. California held up a batch of Moderna vaccine for a few days over questions
“COVID Update” page 23
