Santa Cruz County moves back to more restrictive red tier, expects first batch of vaccines in December
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 11/10/2020 1:30 p.m. Santa Cruz County has returned to the red tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, meaning that more business restrictions will be put in place, but health officials said they expect to get a first batch of vaccines in December.
Dr. Gail Newel said who gets a COVID-19 vaccine will depend on how many companies have their vaccines approved, but the U.S. has already ordered 100 million Pfeizer vaccines in advance.
Ten million vaccine doses will be made available in California, but it is expected to be a two dose vaccine, with each dose administered every 21 days. Pfeizer announced Monday that its vaccine, which is in phase 3 of its trial, appears to be 90% effective.
Those who will be prioritized include residents at skilled nursing facilities and health care workers who work with COVID-19 patients.
Newel said there are currently five vaccine trials that have reached phase 3, but it could still be a full year before everybody is able to get a vaccine.
Vaccine news comes after the announcement that Santa Cruz County has moved back to the red tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Moving back to the red tier means that boardwalk rides will need to close again, indoor dining will be scaled back to 25% capacity and bars that do not serve food can no longer be open outdoors.
The move back is the result of a spike in COVID-19 cases that the county is experiencing. Up to this point, Newel said there has been an average of about 20 new cases each day, but they recently had 109 cases reported in one day, and she said it was not the result of a backlog. Health officials are early in their investigation into the spike, but they said most new cases are among young people, including those under the age of 19, and they are believed to be linked to Halloween events.
Newel and the other Bay Area health officers are recommending a two week quarantine if you leave your county or gather with others from outside the area for a Thanksgiving celebration.
“So really think about how you’re choosing to gather with your loved ones,” Newel said.
PREVIOUS STORY: California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly is set to provide an update on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at noon.
During his updates, Ghaly usually provides an update on counties moving between tiers of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. It is anticipated that some counties may be moving to more restrictive tiers.
Santa Cruz County is one of the counties moving to a more restrictive tier. It has moved back to the red tier, just weeks after moving to the less restrictive orange tier.
Moving back to the red tier means that boardwalk rides will need to close again, indoor dining will be scaled back to 25% capacity and bars that do not serve food can no longer be open outdoors.
County health officials tell KION that they believe the recent spike in cases could be due to Halloween gatherings and that they are seeing more cases among young people.
According to the California Department of Public Health, there were more than 971,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide as of Nov. 8. 17,977 people have died.
