Local Government Academy: Apply Now! • Santa Cruz Chamber Awards Gala

Local Government Academy: Apply Now!

The City of Capitola announces the 2022 Local Government Academy, a series of evening workshops via Zoom for city residents.

The virtual program, which starts March 2, is designed to promote civic participation, help residents better understand how the City works, and frame the City’s role in the larger community. There is no cost to participate.

This year, the Local Government Academy will consist of four sessions: March 2, March 16, March 30 and April 13. Each meeting will be 2 hours, beginning at 6 p.m. Most meetings will be Wednesdays, but recognition will take place during the City Council meting April 28.

Topics include: Finance, recreation, history, public works, community development, Capitola Police, Soquel Creek Water, Santa Cruz Public Library, Soquel Union Elementary School District, Central Fire Protection District.

Application deadline is Friday, Feb. 25.

For questions, contact Larry Laurent at 831-475-7300 or email at llaurent@ci.capitola. ca.us

Santa Cruz Chamber Awards Gala

Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its community award winners at a gala dinner 4-8 p.m. Thursday, March 24, outdoors at the Colonnade at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. Honorees are:

Person of the Year: Bonnie Lipscomb, Director, City of Santa Cruz Economic Development

Businesses of the Year: Bay Federal Credit Union, 1st Capital Bank, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and Santa Cruz County Bank.

Organization of the Year: Dientes Community Dental Clinic

Lifetime (Legacy) Achievement: Willy Elliott MCrea, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County

Reserve your ticket for this fun event, raising a glass and congratulating our award winners.

The year 2021 was a year for recovery from the novel coronavirus and its variants as businesses, nonprofits and the public sector worked to regain economic footing.

Tickets are $155 per person. Register at http://www.santacruzchamber.org/recognitionawards-gala.html n

“COVID Update” from page 7

The numbers ballooned from 325 cases confirmed on Dec. 29 to 1,265 confimred on Jan. 20, according to the county health dashboard, which is updated twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays.

Hospitalizations are down from 43 to 23, including five in intensive care, according to a state dashboard, which updates daily.

Possibly people entered the hospital with another condition or for scheduled surgery, then got tested for Covid. The dashboard does not explain.

Hospital Sale Approved

Local cases are split between Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and Watsonville Community Hospital, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

On Feb. 22, Judge Mary Elaine Hammond approved the sale of the Watsonville Community Hospital operation – which has 620 employees — to the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project, a local consortium that was the sole bidder. Fundraising has generated $20 million, and leaders such as Mimi Hall, formerly the county’s Health Services director, hopes to gain state funding, which could happen in light of a $20 billion budget surplus.

To donate to the consortium, see https://www.pvhdp.org/

The California Department of Public Health estimates Omicron comprises 91% of cases statewide and Delta 6.5% but does not have a breakdown of Omicron hospitalizations or deaths.

Not all COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization are sequenced, and the proportion of cases due to the Omicron variant that die is still being determined.

Less Deadly

Omicron is less deadly than Delta, which raged in 2021. Santa Cruz County reports 249 Covid deaths, up from 225 as of Dec. 15, before Omicron.

One statistic is similar: 79% to 81% of those who died had pre-existing conditions.

Why do people fear Omicron?

They may have a pre-existing condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure).

Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness.

So are people 85 and older.

Some people who got Covid experience “long Covid,” with fatigue and brain fog months afterward. A 2022 study in the journal Cell by researchers following more than 200 patients found many acute Covid patients had low cortisol, which could be addressed.

Soquel Schools

Soquel schools report 29 active student cases and one staff case in February.

Main Street Elementary 13 student cases, New Brighton Middle, 7, Soquel Elementary 6, and Santa Cruz Gardens 3.

New Brighton has one staff case; zero at the other schools.

Testing

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, with Inspire Diagnostic, has provided 315,500 tests.

Cases peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropping to 653 on Feb. 22. The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% two weeks ago, is down to 4.78%.

The County Office of Education offers drive-though testing for students, staff and families at these locations:

Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 2 to 5 p.m.

In a Feb. 16 letter, local school superintendents reminded parents that the state did not lift the mask mandate for schools. Currently: • All students regardless of vaccination status are required to test weekly to participate in indoor sports, Band and

Drama. • Students exposed at school, where both parties were masked, who participate in testing, may continue to take part in all aspects of K-12 schooling, schooladministered afterschool programs, sports and extracurricular activities unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. • Schools will only take into account test results administered by health care providers, Inspire drive-through/ school clinics or CLIA-certified labs.

Home tests are only for parental use. • Third-party programs on school campuses must follow CDPH guidelines which differ from those for schools.

Hundreds of school staff have rapid response antigen tests, courtesy of the County Office of Education, and schools are distributing more for home use.

Directions are posted at https://drive. google.com/file/d/1U8AdsSyH14sDvrjD 6T25krhvOFRFsuXs/view

For test options see: https://tinyurl. com/get-tested-santa-cruz.

Shorter Isolation

On Feb. 23, the California Department of Public Health reported a 3.7% test positivity rate statewide, down from 23% in January.

Based on federal recommendations, the state has shortened the isolation time for those testing positive from 10 days to five days.

Booster shot appointments can be scheduled at https://myturn.ca.gov/ and by asking your local doctor and pharmacies. For local vaccine providers, visit www. santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine.

For help scheduling an appointment, call the Community Bridges Helpline at 831-219-8607 or 831-440-3556 (English, Spanish, Mixteco and Triqui).

For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus or call (831) 454-4242 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. n •••

Total COVID cases: 3,238

••• COVID Deaths: 252 As of Feb. 21 Age 85 and older: 108 • 75-84: 58 • 65-74: 44 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 203 • No: 49 Race White 143 • Latinx 88 • Asian 16 • Black 2 Amer Indian 1 • Hawaiian 1 • Another 1 Gender Men: 128 • Women: 124 Location At facility for aged: 113 Not at a facility: 139

“Housing Project” from page 4

A dozen “tuck-under” parking spaces would be in the rear of the building for residents, along with parking on the front and side. The building is to include a meeting room, leasing office, bike parking and laundry room.

This location is is walking distance to Cabrillo and within a quarter-mile of the nearest Metro bus stop on Soquel Drive.

Elderly residents may call for Lift Line, Uber or a cab, Hoppin said. Younger residents would likely bike or walk to school or work.

To neighbors concerned that people addicted to drugs would move in, Hoppin said, “The population of homeless persons is varied and while some struggle with substance use issues, many do not and simply cannot afford the extraordinary housing costs driven by years of insufficient affordable housing production that this project and other Homekey projects seek to begin to remedy.

The development will not be a recovery or halfway house. It will serve as a permanent residence for highly vulnerable individuals and families who are very low-income or at risk of homelessness, or are exiting homelessness. This is just an affordable housing project, similar to many throughout all areas of our community.”

He added, “These same kinds of concerns were raised in connection with the Aptos Blue project... Now that it has been built, it has been a wonderful community asset with few if any issues. Same with St. Stephens (which Novin led) and many others.”

Asked about environmental review and community meeting, Hoppin said AB 2162 (a 2018 law to streamline approval of supportive housing) and Homekey projects “are exempt from CEQA so environmental impact reports are not required. The county’s Development Review Group has reviewed the preliminary project plans and has not identified any technical infeasibilities at this point.”

He added, “A community meeting is not required, but the applicant is planning to begin outreach to the community if the Homekey award is received, and Supervisor Koenig plans one as well. Should the development meet the requirements under 2162 and/or receive Homekey funds, the law is very clear that the project must be approved.”

Hoppin said adjacent tree removal activities are unrelated to 2838 Park Ave. n