Mask Indoors for Holidays: By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS Mask Indoors for Holidays

By Jondi Gumz

Hosting family for the holiday? Keep your mask on if you are indoors.

That’s the order as of Nov. 22 from Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel, who wants to stave off a surge of cases and hospitalizations as the holidays and winter approaches.

The order applies when you are indoors and not eating, regardless of vaccination status, at work and also at home when non-household members are present.

It will remain in effect until rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer, taking into account hospitalizations, variants of concern, case and vaccination rates.

Santa Cruz County reports 517 active cases, up from 408 two weeks ago, 11 hospitalizations — down from 13 — including two in intensive care.

The county reports 20,864 cases since the pandemic began, 622 hospitalizations, and 223,602 negative test results. Statistics are updated twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

Of the active cases, 23 are in the 19,000-student Pajaro Valley Unified School District, according to santacruzcoe.org/coviddashboards. There are zero active staff cases.

Aptos High has 5 cases, and Aptos Junior High 4 cases; two each at E. A. Hall Middle School, Mintie White Elementary, Pacific Coast Charter School and Watsonville High.

There is one each at Valencia Elementary, Radcliffe Elementary, Hall District Elementary, H.A. Hyde Elementary, Rolling Hills Middle School and Pajaro Valley High.

One of the questions recently fielded by Pajaro Valley Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez was: Since a San Diego state judge ruled Nov. 12 in the Let Them Breathe lawsuit that the Newsom administration set forth guidelines without language authorizing schools to shift students declining to wear a mask into independent study, what will happen if a student declines to wear a mask?

Rodriguez answer is the Pajaro Valley school district is following July 28 guidance from the state Department of Public Health, which requires students to wear a mask indoors and adults sharing spaces with students to mask indoors. The next step is a conversation with the parent/ guardian about the Virtual Academy (online schooling) or “possible medical exemption through licensed physical if there is a true need.”

Gov. Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend in-person school once it gets full approval. At this point, the vaccine is not a state requirement, but is highly recommended by health officials.

“Everyone who has not been vaccinated should get their first dose as soon as possible, and anyone who was vaccinated more than six months ago should seek out a booster,” Dr. Newel advised.

For a list of COVID vaccine providers including local pop-up clinics, visit www. santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine.

80% One Dose

Health experts had surmised that once 70 percent of the population (or 80 percent or 85 percent) was vaccinated against COVID-19, the new coronavirus would fade away — the world could return to normal.

That hasn’t happened.

California reports 75.8 percent have one dose; Santa Cruz County has 80.6 percent with one dose and 70.8 percent fully vaccinated.

Studies show protection from Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccine begins to wane after a few months, which is why booster shots have been made available to those 18 and older whose shots were six months ago.

Dominican Hospital’s vaccine clinic has been providing COVID-19 booster shots every Thursday since they were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

On Nov. 18, Dominican vaccinated about 500 people and will resume Dec. 2 after closing on Thanksgiving, according to Kevin Kimbrough, Dignity Health external communication manager, said.

Staff with Inspire Diagnostics set up for testing for K-12 students and staff in parking lot K at Cabrillo College, where drive-through vaccine clinics — no appointment needed — take place Monday through Friday 2:30-5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

To make an appointment, see myturn. ca.gov.

Although protection wanes, studies show the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective against hospitalization.

The CDC said people are free to “mix and match” vaccines.

Employer Mandate

Deaths are still rising — 775,000 in the United States, 73,000 in California -- Santa Cruz County is unchanged at 222 — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted). He gave businesses until Jan. 4 to comply.

Attorneys general from 27 states sued. One argument is the president set legislative policy, which is the job of Congress, and another is Congress did not give federal Occupational Safety and Health administrators the power to end pandemics.

On Feb. 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published an emergency temporary standard on the vaccine mandate in the Federal Register.

“COVID Update” page 9

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