COMMUNITY NEWS
County Beaches Open Despite Rise in COVID-19 Cases
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By Jondi Gumz
o the relief of many and the frustration of just as many, Santa Cruz County beaches will open before the Fourth of July. Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr Gail Newel said Thursday the beach closure will end at midnight, lifting limits on hours and prohibitions on sunbathing, picnicking and other summertime activities on the sand. “It’s impossible for law enforcement to enforce that closure,” she said at a press conference announcing the change. Other changes: Children ages 2 to 12 must wear a face covering in public, which was not required before, and the shelter in place order is likely to be lifted after July 6. If you choose to gather for Fourth of July, Newel advises: Keep your visit short, make it outdoors, wear your face covering, don’t share utensils or sports equipment, bring your own food rather than share a potluck. She had made beaches off-limits from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. as of May 2 to slow the spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19 when the county reported 136 confirmed cases and two deaths and was pushing to increase testing and procure personal protection equipment for health care workers. As of Thursday, the county reported 337 cases, 15,266 negative lab results and three deaths, the latest being a 90-year-old man in hospice.
Twenty-one new cases were confirmed June 22, the most since the pandemic arrived and residents were ordered on March 16 to shelter in place. People 65 and older are more likely to have complications from COVID-19 because they are more likely to have conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes. Millennials ut in Santa Cruz County, a third of the cases — 106 — are among millennials ages 18 to 34, which Newel said is a trend across California and across the nation. “Young people feel less vulnerable,” Newel said. “They are putting other household members and community members at risk.”
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“Beaches” page 12
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2020 / 11
