Health Officials: Santa Cruz County healthcare system nears capacity

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz County health leaders held a news conference Thursday to address the state of COVID-19 locally, and they say the local healthcare system is near capacity.

There are several factors that they say are contributing to the issue. Officials said hospitals are full of non-COVID and COVID patients, and they believe they are seeing more non-COVID patients because they delayed treatment during the pandemic. They are also experiencing a high number of healthcare staff members on leave due to burnout or vacations delayed for a year and a half.

If hospitals continue to be strained, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said there is a potential for mandatory masking or other restrictions.

"We're counting on our community to follow recommendations to get masked, vaccinated and stay home when feeling ill," she said during the conference.

Even though there is a potential for restrictions if the healthcare system continues to be strained, Newel said they do not want to divert law enforcement from their work and was not sure that it would lead to a significant change in behavior.

"I think the same folks not wearing a mask now probably wouldn't if I issued an order," she said.

Health officers said more of the COVID-19 cases are in North County instead of South County now, and more of the cases are among the white Caucasian population. They said more cases are now community-acquired instead of being passed between members of the same household, and most of the cases are among people between the ages of 25 and 50 and unvaccinated people.

According to Dr. David Ghillarducci, 66.5% of county residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the number is closer to 78% when only eligible people are included in the count. He said the least vaccinated age group is between the ages of 25 and 34. Only 50% of residents below the age of 35 are vaccinated.