COMMUNITY NEWS
Holiday Guests? Mask Indoors By Jondi Gumz Hosting family for the holiday? If you are indoors, keep your mask on. 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 It will remain in effect until rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer, taking into account hospitalizations, variants of concern, case and vaccination rates. A new variant of concern is Omicron. Santa Cruz County reports 540 active cases as of Nov. 28, up from 517 a week ago, 6 hospitalizations — down from 11 — including one in intensive care. The county reports 21,124 cases since the pandemic began, 624 hospitalizations, and 225,600 negative test results. Statistics are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.
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. Schools countywide report 23 active cases, none in the Soquel Union Elementary School District. See santacruzcoe.org/ coviddashboards. For a list of COVID vaccine providers including local pop-up clinics, visit www. santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine.
80% One Dose ealth 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.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control Covid Tracker says Santa Cruz County has 90.4 percent of those 12 and older with one dose and 80.8 percent of that age group fully vaccinated. Studies show protection from Pfizer ’s and Moderna’s vaccine begins to wane after a few months, which is why booster shots are 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 CDC. 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. To make an appointment, see myturn. ca.gov. “COVID Update” page 8
COVID-19 Omicron: What do we know?
Editor’s note: On Nov. 28, the state Department of Public Health posted this information on the new Covid-19 variant of concern. ••• e are still learning about the new variant, including how it spreads and infects individuals as well as how it responds to vaccines. • There are currently no cases in the United States; however, based on other variants, it is only a matter of time before Omicron is detected in the U.S. New variants will continue to evolve as long as there are large proportions of unvaccinated people. • This new variant has many mutations in important areas of the virus that impact infectiousness and the ability for immune systems to protect from infection. Some mutations are concerning to scientists because they are very different from other variants previously detected, and some are similar. • We do not know if this new variant causes more severe COVID-19 illness than other variants or how it might impact response to treatment. What is California Doing? he California Department of Public Health is: • Monitoring for the presence of the
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variant in California through the California SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative, known as COVIDNet. This is a public-private partnership that provides California with genomic sequencing to help understand and control the spread of COVID-19. COVIDNet gives us the ability to detect variants early. • Partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to gather information and expertise to help the public, local public health departments and health care providers. • Preparing to increase COVID-19 testing at airports across California for U.S. citizens and legal residents returning from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. • Focusing on COVID-19 vaccination and booster efforts to ensure that all Californians have access to safe, effective, and free vaccines that can prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19. It’s not too late for anyone eligible to get vaccinated or boosted to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. “COVID Omicron” page 9
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 7
