Third COVID Death in August, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS Third COVID Death in August

By Jondi Gumz

In August, COVID-19 claimed the lives of three more Santa Cruz County residents, bringing the total number of fatalities to 210. All three were unvaccinated, according to health officials, and all three had underlying conditions.

As of Aug. 26, the county reported 893 active COVID cases. That’s an increase of 23 percent in the past 14 days, compared to a 64 percent increase as of Aug. 23. Case counts are updated on Monday and Thursday.

On Aug. 18, the county reported 72 cases, with 71 on Aug. 9 and 73 on Aug. 11.

There were 15 COVID hospitalizations, up from 12, including three people in intensive care, according to the state, which updates those numbers daily.

Citing concern for cases and hospitalizations increasing due to the highly contagious Delta variant, the Santa Cruz County Health Officer mandated face coverings to be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status starting Aug. 21.

“While vaccination remains the best and most effective tool in preventing COVID-19, the Delta variant spreads quickly among the unvaccinated and may even be passed between vaccinated persons, although their symptoms are usually mild, said Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. “Face coverings will provide added protection until everyone is able to be vaccinated, especially children.”

The order is to sunset once community transmission levels return to “moderate” (Yellow level), as determined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See https://covid.cdc.gov/ covid-data-tracker/#county-view).

San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties had already ordered face coverings indoors to stop the spread.

Full Approval

On Aug. 23, federal regulators granted full approval to the two-dose PfizerBioNTech vaccine, which means the fact sheet people get will no longer describe the vaccine as experimental.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had granted the Pfizer vaccine emergency use authorization in December after a clinical trial of 44,000 people 16 and older were followed for a median of two months after their second shot. Half got the shot, and half got a placebo, the FDA said, with the vaccine 91 percent effective.

To get full approval, Pfizer followed 12,000 people for at least six months, the FDA said, and more studies will be required to assess the risk of heart damage as higher risk was observed for males under age 40, with the highest risk for those age 12 to 17.

The Pfizer vaccine will now be marketed as “Comirnaty.”

FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, in announcing the approval, said, “We recognize for some, the FDA approval may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated.”

Santra Cruz County has vaccinated 68 percent of the population with at least one shot, and 60 percent are fully vaccinated.

The indoor mask mandate applies to all businesses and governmental entities, which must require employees to wear masks and post signs that are clearly visible and easy-to-read at all entry points for indoor settings informing the public.

Those at home or working in a closed room or office alone or with members of their household do not have to wear a mask, and masks are not required during indoor activities such as eating, drinking, swimming, showering in a fitness facility, or obtaining medical or cosmetic services.

Signs are available in Public Health’s Signs/Media Library. https://www. santacruzhealth.org/HSAHome/ HSADivisions/PublicHealth/CommunicableDiseaseControl/CoronavirusHome/ PublicInformation/SignsMediaLibrary. aspx

A sign at New Leaf Community Market Santa Cruz

Testing in Schools

The state’s mandate for full vaccination or weekly testing of all teachers and support staff is to be fully implemented by Oct. 15.

Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools, is ramping up testing.

He said, “As anticipated, some local schools have identified isolated cases of COVID-19 among students and staff, prompting our notification and exposure protocols. To allow students who were exposed to continue to attend school, we are required to test them twice a week... This is not just about protecting our students, it’s also about protecting their family members and others they come in contact with.”

He added, “The lack of in-school transmission is another reassuring signal of the efficacy of masking, vaccination, and other safety protocols. However, given the infectiousness of the widespread Delta variant and the lack of vaccine eligibility among our younger students and a portion of our community, we anticipate positive cases to continue to manifest in our schools.”

Students age 12 and older are eligible for vaccines; younger children are not eligible as yet.

In a case highlighted by the federal Centers for Disease Control, an unvaccinated Marin County elementary school teacher tested positive in May, with 22 of the 24 students, all ineligible for vaccine, getting positive test results.

For those in the two rows seated closest to the teacher’s desk, eight of 10 were positive compared to four of 14 in the three back rows. The outbreak “highlights the importance of vaccinating school staff members who are in close indoor contact with children ineligible for vaccination as schools reopen,” according to health officials who investigated.

In Santa Cruz County, Sabbah said, “We are also testing all unvaccinated school employees at least weekly in compliance with the recent statewide order.”

Surveillance testing is available at no charge to all Santa Cruz County teachers and support staff through a partnership with Valencia Labs.

“COVID Update” page 10