Santa Cruz County provides update on COVID-19 response
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) As of Thursday evening, there were 80 confirmed cases in Santa Cruz County. One person has died and 30 have recovered.
Nearly 1,700 Santa Cruz county residents have received test results. That number has tripled in the last week, and starting next week the testing is expected to expand with three new point of care testing sites. These type of tests are done with a swab, and there are results in less than a day. The three sites are at Dominican Hospital, a Dignity Health outpatient clinic and the health services clinic at the Emeline campus in Santa Cruz.
That testing will, at first, only be for patients with symptoms and medical professionals.
“Whether its in-patient or people who are in the emergency department, they’re not going to run it on people who just want to know if they have COVID-19,” Santa Cruz count health officer Dr. Gail Newel said.
Health Officer Gail Newel said Thursday, the Santa Cruz county shelter in place is working.
“We are among the very best counties in the state of California as far as flattening the curve,” Newel said.
Projections from just a few weeks ago predicted Santa Cruz would double in cases every six days, but it's only been every eight.
That's allowed hospital capacity to remain low, saving alternative care sites at 1440 Multiversity and Simpkins Swim Center.
“We had requested to the state for disaster service and medical reserve care workers to start on Monday, but we’re not seeing the hospital surge capacity we [expected] three weeks ago,” Health Services Director Mimi Hall said.
Santa Cruz county hospitals have 50 ICU beds and a similar number of ventilators. As of Thursday night, three positive COVID-19 patients are in the ICU and four more have coronavirus symptoms in county hospitals.
The overflow of ICU capacity is still predicted to begin in early May. If hospitals and alternative care sites are maxed out, there is a back up. Seton Medical Center in the San Francisco area will take patients if necessary.
“A facility that the state bought to be a federal medical station, and they have said they will receive patients from Santa Cruz,” Hall said.
Although there are positive results from social distancing, county health officials said that doesn't mean we can stop the strict measures anytime soon.
