Case of Delta variant identified in Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The first official case of the COVID-19 Delta variant has been identified in Santa Cruz County, according to the Health Services Agency.

Santa Cruz County Public Health said the sample was collected on June 10 from a man in his 50s who had mild COVID-19 symptoms. Health officials said it is likely that there are more unidentified cases in the county.

This variant is expected to become the dominant strain in the US, and Public Health said it currently makes up 14.5% of all California cases. They said it is more easy to transmit and resistant to treatment.

To prevent the spread of the variant, health officials recommend that everyone eligible should get vaccinated to prevent infection.

“With the reopening of the economy and slowing vaccination rates, the introduction of a highly transmissible variant creates an especially worrisome situation,” Santa Cruz County Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci said. “For those who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, your risk of serious illness is becoming more likely. The best way to reduce the risk for everyone – including residents not yet eligible to be vaccinated -- is to seek a vaccine as soon as possible.”

Anyone interested in getting vaccinated can find one using the Vaccine Finder website. Employers can set up a vaccine clinic for staff by emailing hsac19vaccineclinics@santacruzcounty.us.