County Reports 64 COVID Deaths; Stay-At-Home Order Begins Friday

COMMUNITY NEWS County Reports 64 COVID Deaths; Stay-At-Home Order Begins Friday

By Jondi Gumz

Aday after Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Santa Cruz County with the priority hospital workers, the number of county residents dead because of the coronavirus rose again, to 64 on Wednesday, and the regional intensive care unit availability dropped to 12.9 percent, triggering a stay-at-home order for Santa Cruz County takes effect at 11:49 p.m. Thursday and will remain for at least three weeks. After that, ICU availability will be reassessed weekly.

In eight days, the virus claimed 17 more lives, elders in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The increase is being driven by deaths at nursing homes, which account for 44 of the total fatalities. Underlying conditions have been a factor in 47 deaths, according to public health data.

Santa Cruz County reported 1,632 active cases Wednesday, bringing the total to 6,317 since the virus arrived in January.

In the state’s COVID strategy, which mandates stay-at-home orders when ICU availability falls below 15 percent, Santa Cruz County is part of the Bay Area Region along with Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.

The order prohibits private gatherings of any size and mandates masking and physical distancing.

“With our case counts at an all-time high and headed higher due to the Thanksgiving surge, our hospitals and health care delivery system are at the breaking point,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said. “We urge all residents to adhere to state guidelines as closely as possible to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and help reduce impacts to our most vulnerable residents. Our actions now will help us return to our normal lives sooner rather than later.”

A New York State investigation of COVID case contacts from September through November found 74 percent were linked to private gatherings, 8 percent to health care, and 2 percent to restaurants.

The restrictions require individuals to stay home unless traveling for essential purposes, prohibits leisure travel and gatherings outside one’s immediate household, limits community and commercial activities, and will be in place a minimum of three weeks.

Closures

The regional stay-at-home order also closes hair salons, barbershops, personal care services such as massage, indoor recreation

Photo Credit: Shmuel Thaler Staff at Dominican Hospital carefully unbox the first shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. such as gyms and fitness centers, museums, bars, wineries and breweries; limits grocery store occupancy to 35 percent and all other retail stores to 20 percent, and ends outdoor dining at restaurants, allowing only take-out, pickup and delivery.

People can leave home to buy food, obtain health care and exercise. Non-urgent medical and dental care may remain open. Offices except for critical services must shift to remote work.

Schools offering in-person learning and child care may remain open if remote options are not possible.

Hotels are open for critical services but leisure travel is not allowed, and neither is overnight camping.

At places of worship, only outdoor services are allowed. Political protests can only take place outdoors.

To maintain physical and mental health, members of the same household are encouraged to go to a park, hike, walk or bike ride and practice physical distancing. The state guidance on youth and adult recreational sports, released Monday, details what is permissible.

With 1,632 active cases, Santa Cruz County’s contact tracing staff is stretched thin, according to Mimi Hall, director of the county Health Services Agency.

New App

Hall urged residents to download a new app for cell phones, called CA Notify, to help reduce the spread of the virus. The app became available on Dec. 10.

Once installed on a smartphone, the app tells if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.

With this information, people can make responsible decisions around quarantine and testing, which is essential for stopping the surge, according to Hall, noting that the app protects privacy because no personally identifiable information is collected.

People who opt in and get a positive test result will receive a code via text message from the California Department of Public Health.

“The more people download and use this app, the more helpful it is to our efforts to contain this disease,” Santa Cruz County Health Director Mimi Hall said. “It helps us save lives.”

More information is at www.canotify. ca.gov.

While the county’s cases have skyrocketed since Thanksgiving, the local situation is better than what’s happening statewide.

Santa Cruz County has 37.5 new cases per 100,000 population compared to 63.9 statewide.

The county’s positivity rate on tests is 6.5% compared to 11.3% statewide.

However, the county’s equity positivity rate, a measure of disadvantaged populations, is 14.8% which shows a gap that needs to be closed.

Lawsuit Update

Alawsuit filed against Watsonville Post Acute Center by the family of 94-yearold Donald Wickham, one of 16 residents who died of COVID at the nursing home, has been assigned to Superior Court Judge Timothy Volkmann, according to attorney Dvid Spini, who represents the family.

A status conference is set for March 10. Spini said he has not received response to the complaint from Watsonville Post-Acute.

Spini, who is with Scruggs, Spini & Fulton in Santa Cruz, said the firm has heard from some other families about COVID-related deaths at that facility.

“We are in the process of investigating these other claims, as everyone’s experience is a bit different,” he said. “We have also heard from families who lost family members to COVID at other facilities.”

“COVID Update” page 17

Oral Health Heroes Nominations Sought

Nominations are due by noon Dec. 31 for the 2021 Oral Health Hero Awards, which recognize outstanding commitment to improving oral health for the underserved in Santa Cruz County.

This year, the Santa Cruz Oral Health Access Committee will honor two community members who have gone above and beyond in their passion for expanding access to oral health care.

One award will go to a dentist, hygienist, or staff from a dental office; the other award will go to a non-dental professional who has promoted oral health through their work in the community. Non-dental nominees work in public health, nonprofits, education, or a medical setting.

One in four children in Santa Cruz have cavities.

In California, Latinx children and poor children experience more tooth decay and untreated tooth decay than other children.

Many strides have been taken over the last four years to reduce this disparity but because of the pandemic, schools are closed along with school-based dental care services, which many families depended on for dental care.

Dental offices are seeing patients at a reduced capacity, maintaining COVID-19 safety protocols.

“Much-needed preventative appointments had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Sepideh Taghvaei, dental director of Dientes Dental Clinic, adding that dentists, healthcare providers and oral health educators “have done a wonderful job changing their systems to meet state guidelines, while also striving to meet the needs of our underserved community.”

Oral Health Heroes will be recognized at the Oral Health Summit on Feb. 4.

“Fighting Racism” from page 6

Dismantling racism requires daily constant effort to address these points.

Science teacher Lisa Catterall shared, “Thanks to these sessions with Enid Lee, I feel more empowered than ever to highlight the work of BIPOC [black, indigenous and people of color] engineers, scientists, and mathematicians in my curriculum across the grades, and I feel more comfortable speaking up when I notice areas where we can improve in representation and equity.”

History teacher Chrislaine Miller reflected, “I personally feel this is an important moment to foster these conversations in the workplace, especially in light of the recent Executive order by the President (on 9/22/2020) that states that diversity programs have ‘no place in programs and activities supported by Federal taxpayer dollars.’

She continues: “This executive order sets up the structures for enforcement through hotlines where anyone can make a complaint about their employer if they

To submit nominations: https://bit.ly/ OralHealthHero. •••

Agri-Culture Scholarship Deadline Jan. 29

Agri-Culture, Inc. is accepting applications for four scholarships to be awarded in 2021 for students entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture, animal science or culinary arts. They are:

Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship: $4,000 for a student entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture. This award includes $2,000 from American AgCredit.

Jeannie Witmer Memorial Scholarship: $1,500 for a student active (past or present) in California High School Rodeo Association District 4 or California 4-H Horse Program, entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture and/or animal sciences.

J.J. Crosetti, Jr. Memorial Scholarship: $1,000 for a student entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture.

Laura Brown Memorial Scholarship: $2,000 for a student entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture, a related field, or culinary arts.

The deadline to apply is: Friday, Jan. 29. The application is at: http://www.agri-culture. us/wp-content/uploads/Application-AgriCulture-Scholarships-Combined-2021.pdf

To request an application, contact the Financial Aid office at your school or AgriCulture, 141 Monte Vista Ave., Watsonville, CA 95076 or call (831) 722-6622 or (831) 8181193. Or email: agri-culture@sbcglobal.net. •••

Dec. 28 Deadline for 2020 Art Contest

Reflections of 2020” art contest, sponsored by the Capitola Arts & Recreation Comdiscuss the very topics that we have had a chance to cover in our staff development days. While this order harkens back to dark times in American history, I think we as a school community must consider how important diversity education is in this moment. Enid’s approach (carefully listening to our ideas and feedback and providing a range of alternatives for sharing) gives all of us who were present a chance to think critically about how our school functions for everybody.”

One concept Enid introduced proved to be a powerful tool at both workshops: The idea of the open/closed sign. She asked us to think of the ways that we can, individually and institutionally, make decisions focused on equity and to explore the ways we may unintentionally leave people out of the conversation. This work can apply to how and who we hire, who we include in the decision-making process, and how we frame the admission and financial aid process.

On Nov. 11, Enid expanded on the open/closed sign idea by sharing a powerful TED talk by Camara Phyllis Jones, mission, is an opportunity for artists to connect with the community and share art inspired by your experiences of 2020.

There are three categories: Professional, novice age13 and older, and youth 12 and under.

The contest will have two phases. In the first phase, artists will submit their piece via digital submission by Dec. 28; the pieces which will be placed and shared in the Digital Gallery located on the City of Capitola webpage, www. cityofcapitola.org

After the entry deadline, a panel of judges will choose first, second and third place and honorable mentions for each entry category.

The winners of this first phase will receive ribbons and the opportunity to have their pieces on public display in the second phase and win the “Public’s Choice” award.

The professional award is a $700 purchase prize, the novice award is $250 cash and the youth award is a $150 gift certificate. •••

Artistic Local Gifts At Your Fingertips

Looking for a unique gift but dread going out to shop? Check the Visual Arts Network of Santa Cruz County at https:// visualartsnetworkscc.com/ and click on “Explore Artists.”

The network has 186 artists from A to W — assemblage to woodworking.

You can sort by medium, such as glass, jewelry, ceramics, or photography, or focus on Open Studios artists or those accepting commissions.

As you peruse artist profiles, you’ll be able to see if an artist has added their shop to their page by looking for the “Shop Here” button.

If you’re not quite sure and you want to Allegories on Race and Racism. These allegories gave us a shared understanding of race and racism, and, for me, a way to measure the equity and inclusion work we are doing at Mount Madonna School.

Enid’s three main aspects of antiracism work, coupled with Camara Jones’s allegories, created a powerful framework for the workshop, energizing faculty and staff to engage in this important work.

Dean of Students Bob Caplan said, “I am inspired by Enid Lee’s ‘hidden assets’ teaching, which encourages us to take an even deeper look at the students’ strengths, values and interests as a window into ways to connect with and empower their learning.”

These workshops are one of many initiatives at Mount Madonna School to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for all our stakeholders.

In June, we formed an equity and inclusion committee made up of faculty, staff, administrators, parent, board and alumni voices. The group includes Masina Hunnicutt, Jill Kayne, Chrislaine see the work before you buy, many artists are setting up appointments (with social distancing and mask requirements) so you can visit. •••

Comments Due Dec. 30 on State Aviation Plan

Caltrans’ Division of Aeronautics is accepting public comments through Dec. 30 on the draft California Aviation System Plan for 2020.

The 2020 plan envisions the ongoing role of aviation — large commercial service airports to small local general aviation airports such as Watsonville Municipal, Airport — in the state’s transportation environment, reviews airport activities and details aviation’s contributions to communities, the environment, and the economy.

Some $12 million in capital improvement projects are envisioned at Watsonville Municipal Airport over the next five years, not taking into account impacts from COVID-19.

The 375-page plan is posted at https:// dot.ca.gov/programs/aeronautics/ california-aviation-system-plan. Email comments to CASP2020@dot.ca.gov.

The final draft document will be submitted in January to the California Transportation Commission for adoption. •••

Red Cross Blood Donations Santa Cruz

Dec 22: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St.

Dec 29: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St.

Dec 31: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St.

Jan 1, 2021: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St. ~~~

Watsonville

Dec 18: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Pajaro Valley Health Trust Hall, 85 Nielson Street

Dec 24: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Pajaro Valley

Health Trust Hall, 85 Nielson Street n Miller, Christine Orozco, Jennifer Astone, AnMei Dasbach-Pris ‘20, Gitanjali Hemp, and myself. The committee has met weekly and exploring issues of equity and inclusion.

The Mount Madonna School Board of Directors approved the committee’s proposed updated school values statements, posted at the Mount Madonna School website. The group is working on crafting an equity and inclusion statement and other initiatives such as a land acknowledgment. Be on the lookout for more information on the committee’s work.

Reflecting on the workshop, Christine Orozco, a parent and staff member on the equity and inclusion committee, said, “Mount Madonna School is a community that celebrates and honors every unique individual and the multifaceted experiences that they bring to the school. We believe that embracing our diversity leads to social/emotional and academic excellence.” n •••

Shannon Kelly is Upper School director at Mount Madonna School.

COMMUNITY NEWS Remembering Ziva: Be Kind & Thoughtful

By Risa Schwartz

Editor’s note: Ziva Mitnick was a small child with a big personality and she will not be forgotten. The daughter of Josh and Sarah Mitnick, she was born in 2012 and attended Mar Vista Elementary School in Aptos.

She was a free spirit who appreciated rainbows, mermaids and unicorns and she loved to sing and dance. In July 2019, she was diagnosed with leukemia and it ultimately took her life on Dec. 18, 2019. Her teacher, Risa Schwartz, wrote this tribute.

•••

Everyone knew and loved Ziva, our tiny magical rainbow mermaid unicorn girl.

She was kind and always thought of others and that is the legacy she left behind — be kind and think of others.

Her passing impacted our entire school, as she was to be in first grade and her brother and sister were in fourth and sixth grade.

This year, she would have been in second grade in my class. Her birthday is Nov. 26 and two other kids in the class share a birthday with her. We talk about her and of course even more with her birthday being in November.

I wanted to do something to honor her so I asked her best friend for an idea and she came up with donating “mermaid and unicorn” masks for the homeless children.

We set forth a crowd-funding effort in the second grade community of Mar Vista, the staff, and on her memory page. We have raised $565 toward masks and have received 15 packs of masks so far! (There are 4-6 masks per pack.)

It isn’t just me who has done something, her brother’s sixth grade teacher has arranged with Christ Lutheran Church on McGregor Drive to put up a little food pantry where people can leave and take canned and boxed food. Her sister did a toy drive in September to donate to Kaiser Santa Clara children’s ICU unit for the kids to have special things to play with during their stay because those same things really lifted Ziva’s spirit while she was in the hospital.

These are just three ways Ziva’s spirit has carried on, but I know there are many more. n