A Generous Gift for Hopes Closet

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Generous Gift for Hopes Closet

Hopes Closet, the nonprofit resale children’s shop at 2557 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, is celebrating its 10th anniversary — and providing 20,000 “bundles of hope” to children in need.

Board member Arne Croce announced the nonprofit recently acquired a new washer/dryer with a price tag of $2,400, thanks to a $2,000 donation from Omega Nu.

Debbie Baker, owner of Baker Brothers Appliance in Watsonville, paid the sales tax and provided free delivery, installation, and pick-up/disposal of the old unit.

All of the clothing donated to Hopes Closet is washed before given to families in need or being put out for sale to the public.

Winter wear, snow jackets and snow boots, are now in stock.

Store hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. TuesdayFriday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

In October, the nonprofit hosted an open house for volunteers, looking for people who like to organize, work with people or put together cute outfits for children. For information email Volunteer@HopesClosetsc.com. On Oct. 28, the nonprofit posted a request on its Facebook page, requesting clean and lightly worn clothing for boys and girls sizes 4, 5, and 6.

The donation center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. n

A new washer/dryer makes them smile, left to right, Sue Bird, Hopes Closet volunteer, Sisi Belcher, Hopes Closet volunteer and Omega Nu alum, Shelley May, Hopes Closet store manager, Charlie Flores, Baker Brothers Appliance, Linda Walls, Hopes Closet volunteer, and Adam Croce, Hopes Closet donation associate.

“COVID Update” from page 10

Santa Cruz County reports 753 active cases as of Dec. 26, up from 596 active cases a week ago, 22,399 cases since the pandemic began, 638 hospitalizations, and 234,700 negative test results. Statistics are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.

A total of 12 people are hospitalized with COVID in the county, split between Dominican Hospital and Watsonville Community Hospital, which filed Dec. 5 for bankruptcy protection to pave the way for a sale. Two of them are in intensive care.

The CDC tracker reports positivity is 3.59 percent in Santa Cruz County, up from 2.37 percent a week ago; California’s positivity rate is up to 9.7 percent, and the state reports a seven-day average of 11.2 percent.

Student Cases

TheSantaCruzCountyOfficeofEducation reports all positive cases of student and staff regardless of the source of transmission. See santacruzcoe.org/coviddashboards.

Scotts Valley Unified School District reports one active student case at Scotts Valley High and zero staff cases as of Dec. 13. The district is on winter break. Classes resume Jan. 3.

With Inspire Diagnostics, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education has conducted 136,600 PCR tests for COVID at no charge to those tested, and reports a 14-day positivity rate of 1.74 percent, up from 1.11 percent a week ago.

Testing for the school community is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the regular schedule resumes Jan. 3.

Regular testing hours are: Cabrillo’s parking lot K, 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; the PVUSD District Office parking lot, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the county Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.

Students and their families, and staff and their families can get tested free; fill out the registration once at http://sccoe. link/inspiresc and go to any site --no appointment is needed.

Boosters & Mandates

Following authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine are available at the three local clinics for 16-17 year-olds who got their second dose at least six months ago.

Booster doses of all three vaccine types are available locally for all school staff. For appointments see https://santacruzcoe. org/boosters/

Booster shots are available for school staff who got their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago.

Shortly before Christmas, as the CDC estimated Omicron made up a majority ot cases, Gov. Newsom ordered health care workers to get a booster shot by Feb. 1.

A CDC analysis published Nov. 18 in the American Journal of Infection Control found 30 percent of healthcare workers in more than 2,000 U.S. were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 15.

Deaths are still rising — 820,000 in the United States, 75,500 in California, 228 in Santa Cruz County — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted).

The deadline to comply is Jan. 4, but due to legal challenges, the future of the mandate is not known.

Four judicial rulings put mandates on hold, finding the administration’s orders mandating vaccines exceeded the power Congress had given the executive branch.

In Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services, a Florida district court upheld the CMS mandate. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed it on Dec. 6.

The Biden administration backed off on penalties this year for federal workers and military personnel not fully vaccinated (or requested a religious or medical exemption) by Nov. 22.

Enforcement will begin in 2022, when the unvaccinated may get a letter of reprimand. About 92 percent of federal employees are vaccinated.

92% One Dose

Health 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.

The CDC Covid Tracker says Santa Cruz County has 92.5 percent of those 12 and older with one dose and 82.2 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 provided COVID-19 booster shots every Thursday since they were approved by the FDA and CDC. To make an appointment, see myturn.ca.gov.

Although protection wanes, studies show the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective against hospitalization.

The CDC said people can “mix and match” vaccines.

The Dignity Health Medical GroupDominican pediatric practices in Aptos and Capitola began offering the Pfizer vaccine to their patients 5 years and older after the FDA granted authorization.

Some parents worry about myocarditis, heart inflammation, which has been reported in adolescent and young adult males. It is a rare condition and Dr. Steven Black, co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, a consortium researching vaccine safety, told The New York Times that physicians will know to look for it.

Some parents worried about longterm side effects do not want to vaccinate their children. In other cases, if the children have had COVID, the parents contend they have natural immunity.

Jobs

Santa Cruz County had a healthy 103,400 jobs as of mid-November, and unemployment was 4.9%, down from 6.6% a year ago. Many businesses still have “help wanted” signs.

Cabrillo College has several jobs posted on Indeed.com, including a part-time adjunct instructor for communications, and accounting technician, starting at $4,100 per month and pat-time athletic trainer, $3,140 per month. Peet’s in Scotts Valley is offering $16-$19 an hour for a part-time barista, and the city of Scotts Valley is starting an entrylevel police officer at $6,347 a month. n •••

Total COVID cases: 22,399

•••

COVID Deaths: 228

As of Dec.29

Age

85 and older: 98 • 75-84: 51 • 65-74: 41 60-64: 14 • 55-59: 3 • 45-54: 9 • 35-44: 7 25-34: 5

Underlying Conditions

Yes: 181 • No: 47

Race

White 126 • Latinx 83 • Asian 16 Black 1 • Amer Indian/Alaskan native 1 Gender Male: 117 • Female 111 Aging Facility Yes: 107 • No 121