Living with Covid: Graduation in Person, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS

Living with Covid: Graduation in Person

By Jondi Gumz

Denmark is the first country to suspend its Covid vaccination program, with the health authority citing the arrival of spring, and more people have had either Covid or a vaccine — 89% over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated, and 76% of adults have a booster shot.

The India Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling supporting vaccine choice, saying that “bodily integrity is protected under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the constitution and no individual can be forced to be vaccinated.”

In the U.S., Dr. Vinay Prasad, who has a master’s in public health, suggests vaccine choice be available to parents of children under 5 for which the Food and Drug Administration has not authorized a Covid vaccine. Moderna submitted trial results and applied for emergency use authorization, and Pfizer is awaiting trial results, but Prasad tweets, “Why have FDA? Let the marketplace decide.”

The highly contagious but less deadly BA.2 Omicron subvariant now dominates, a change from the initially deadly coronavirus.

Cases are up, and there is an uptick in hospitalizations in California, and locally, but public health officers say it’s hard to predict a peak and how dangerous this variant is, given that some people have natural immunity.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates almost 60 percent of the populace — including 76% percent of children — have had Omicron or another coronavirus variant.

California Parents United and Moms on the Ground announced a parent’s rights initiative and candidate forum 6-8 p.m. May 19, at a Salinas ranch, 484 Corral de Tierra Road. Tickets are $100 at www. californiaparentsunited.org. Mama Bears Radio Show on KSCO is a co-sponsor.

New signs of normal: Cabrillo College in Aptos brings back in-person graduation Friday, May 20, seating at 2 p.m., ceremony at 4 p.m. at the football stadium on campus. In-person graduation ceremonies June 2 for Aptos Junior High, 11 a.m., and Aptos High, 4 p.m. both at Cabrillo’s football stadium.

The Aptos Chamber bringing back the World’s Shortest Parade at 10 a.m. July 4. The theme is “team spirit.” The chamber also is seeking vendors for the party in the Aptos Village Park, which will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with music, craft booths, and food.

The Felton Remembers parade returns at 10 a.m. May 28 followed by the Covered Bridge Festival. Starting June 16, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk brings back live music Thursdays on the Colonnade with Friday night movies starting June 17.

The city of Scotts Valley is seeking help to host its Independence Day parade a day early, Sunday, July 3, with a fireworks celebration that night.

Proposed Laws

California lawmakers face a May 27 deadline to pass legislation; 10 bills deal with Covid-19.

Four were pulled — Assembly Bill 1993, to require all employees and independent contractors, public and private, to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to keep their job and Senate Bill 871, to require children 0-17 to get a Covid vaccine to attend school or day care.

Also pulled: SB 1464, to require law enforcement officers to enforce public health orders, and cut funding if they do not and shift those funds to public health, SB 1390 to prohibit a social media platform from amplifying misinformation or disinformation and SB 920, to authorize a medical board to inspect a doctor’s office and records without patient consent.

Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids, headed by Amy Bohn in Newbury Park, which has filed six lawsuits against vaccine mandates, is watching to see if these measures come back in a budget trailer bill in May — which avoids public hearings. The group is tracking other Covid-19 bills. They include:

SB 866: To allow children 12 and older to get Covid vaccines without parental consent. Passed by Senate, awaiting action in Assembly.

AB 1419: To prohibit the representative of a minor from inspecting the minor’s patient record when the records relate to medical care related to the prevention or treatment of pregnancy. This bill goes with SB 866. Senate Appropriations suspense hearing will be May 19.

SB 1184: To authorize a health care provider or plan to disclose your child’s medical information to a school-linked services coordinator without parent consent. Senate may discuss next week. Senate vote may be next week.

SB 1479: To mandate Covid testing plans at schools. Senate Appropriations suspense hearing May 19.

AB 1797: To create a state immunization tracking system and give schools and other entities access to all vaccine records. Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing on suspense file May 19.

AB 2098: To classify a physician or surgeon disseminating or promoting misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19 as unprofessional conduct and grounds for discipline. This is supported by Sen. Richard Pan, a physician, and opposed by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

To track these bills, see https:// leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

With SB 871 pulled by the author, Gov. Newsom is delaying plans to mandate Covid vaccine for school children until July 2023.

Hospitalizations from Omicron had peaked in January, then plummeted and have been rising.

The state Department of Public Health reports test positivity, 23% in January, has ticked up from 1.7% to 4.4% and hospitalizations — 20,000 in January —dropped to 950 before rising to 1,300.

Santa Cruz County reports 1,379 active cases, with five hospitalizations, one in intensive care. One Covid death was reported in the past two weeks, bringing the total to 262. That person was 85 or older, with other medical conditions.

In April, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board adopted new workplace rules.

Unvaccinated and vaccinated workers must be treated the same; no mask mandate for those unvaccinated. Requirements to disinfect surfaces were removed. Requirements for partitions and physical distancing were replaced by requirements for better ventilation. Employees testing positive can return to work masked five days later.

Omicron has a shorter incubation period then the early coronavirus variants.

Airline Mask Mandate Lifted

Starting May 16, the European Union will no longer require masks at airports and on airplanes. Passengers coughing or sneezing should consider wearing a mask to safeguard others, officials said.

Airline masks became optional in the U.S. after a federal judge in Florida on April 18 voided the mask mandate ordered by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for airlines, trains and buses on Feb. 3, 2021.

“Ballot Boxes” from page 4 • Santa Cruz — 701 Ocean St. in front of the County Government Center • Santa Cruz — 212 Church St. in the public parking lot #16 • Santa Cruz — UCSC Quarry Plaza • Scotts Valley — 1 Civic Center Drive in the City Hall parking lot • Watsonville — 316 Rodriguez St in municipal public parking lot 14 • Watsonville — County Health Center parking lot, 1432 Freedom Blvd.

Other options include:

“COVID Update” page 10

• Return your ballot in person before and including Election Day at the

County Elections Office or any of the

City Clerks’ offices. • Return it to a voter service center, open

Saturday, May 28, to Tuesday, June 7. • Mail it so it is received on time — ballots postmarked on or before

Election Day and received by June 14 will be considered received on time. n •••

Information: https://www.votescount.us/ Home/Elections/June2022CaliforniaPrimaryElection/BallotDropBoxes.aspx