![]() Santa Cruz County Bank is a member of this vital group of community leaders who are working to get Santa Cruz County back to work. “The evidence from what we’ve seen from Omicron really backs up the importance of vaccination,” Ghilarducci said.Of Santa Cruz County (ERC) - formed in the Spring of 2020 to support a safe, phased and sustainable reopening of the local economy - is providing weekly updates related to Covid-19 in Santa Cruz County. Residents age 50 or older, or anyone with medical conditions that put them at risk for severe infection, are now eligible for a second booster. The best line of protection against coronavirus remains vaccination, Ghilarducci reiterated, and a third shot – or booster. Ghilarducci said he was concerned that if the proposed billions in funding weren’t approved by Congress there could be local impacts. “There is a potential we could have a short-term scarcity and we do not have a warehouse full of these tests prepared to use,” Ghilarducci said.Ī new federal funding stream to buy such tests and therapeutics to treat COVID-19 hangs in the balance. ![]() Since then, the Biden Administration offered American households the option to order some eight rapid tests. While Ghilarducci nodded to expedited care pathways, he acknowledged recent testing and treatment shortages.Īt points during Santa Cruz’s more recent wave, COVID-19 test appointments were booked out for days at many health care provider offices and drug store shelves were wiped clean of rapid tests. Even though Omicron was so transmissible and infectious, the death rate was lower,” Ghilarducci said. “The Omicron numbers were probably three to four times higher than previous winter. Ghilarducci pointed to the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing more deaths and hospitalizations during the recent Omicron surge. What remains to be seen is just how severe – or isolated – a new wave of BA.2 cases could be in the Central Coast. “It seems to be slightly more infectious, slightly more contagious, but the vaccines seem to have the same efficacy against that new variant,” Ghilarducci said. While Deltacron hasn’t been detected in Santa Cruz County, Ghilarducci said, “we expect the BA.2 to be the main variant here in Santa Cruz County very soon.” It’s likely the Santa Cruz region will see another surge in coronavirus infections soon, according to Ghilarducci. The majority of those who died had underlying health conditions and were age 70 or older. Currently, 419 people are infected with COVID-19 in the region.ĭuring the peak of the Omicron surge, 10 people died in Santa Cruz County – nine were vaccinated and five had received booster shots. According to Ghilarducci, as of Thursday just one infected person was actively hospitalized across Santa Cruz County. The number of average daily COVID-19 cases dropped some 40% from March 14 to March 28. ![]() “I think we’re starting to flatten out in terms of cases.” “Currently case rates are down after that tremendous Omicron surge,” Ghilarducci said. David Ghilarducci, who spoke during a town hall Thursday evening, but a new wave of infections is likely on the way.Ĭoronavirus case numbers peaked beginning in mid January and accounted for one-quarter of the county’s total COVID-19 cases recorded though the pandemic. SANTA CRUZ – Impacts of the recent COVID-19 Omicron surge have leveled off in Santa Cruz County, according to Deputy Health Officer Dr.
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