Due to the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, Santa Cruz County is returning to the red tier under the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
While national coronavirus figures are spiking, Santa Cruz County remains relatively safe. However, the number of active cases has doubled in recent weeks, with a weekend increase in case counts that appears related to Halloween. Residents are urged to protect themselves and their families during the upcoming holiday season by wearing masks, following social distancing protocols, and avoiding gatherings that do not follow state guidelines for health and safety.
“While many of our new cases are among young adults who can have mild symptoms, it’s important to remember that they can transmit the disease to others, with potentially severe consequences,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said. “We are entering an especially dangerous period of the pandemic, and we ask everyone to meet this challenge by taking measures to protect one another.”
Sectors such as restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, and museums must decrease indoor operations from 50 percent to 25 percent of capacity. Retail establishments may continue operations at a reduced capacity of 50 percent. Please refer to sector-specific guidance at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.
Bars, breweries, and distilleries must close, and wineries must close indoor operations. Gyms and fitness centers should reduce capacity to 10 percent of normal operations, and amusement parks, family entertainment centers, nonessential offices, and live-audience sports are no longer allowed.
The U.S. recently surpassed 10 million confirmed cases of coronavirus – 20 percent of that global total. Total U.S. deaths exceed 238,000, including 18,000 in California and 26 in Santa Cruz County.
For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, or call (831) 454-4242 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
