Santa Cruz County confirms second Coronavirus case
The County of Santa Cruz Public Health Division is announcing a second case of coronavirus.
On Sunday March 8th, testing confirmed COVID-19 in a patient who presented with symptoms of coronavirus. The patient previously traveled to Seattle, and Public Health investigators have determined the individual likely contracted the virus there before returning home on a commercial flight.
“They sought care immediately, which means this person has been generally alone and resting because they have been ill,” Health Services Director Mimi Hall said.
Santa Cruz County Public Health is conducting a thorough investigation to identify potential exposures and notify contacts.
“Tracking down contacts, and then asking people who have been exposed to monitor themselves report to the health department twice daily,” Hall said.
The patient is now in isolation and recovering. Santa Cruz County Public Health is also urging residents to prepare for potential disruption by updating family emergency plans, and has issued updated social distancing and workplace guidelines.
"Unfortunately, this new case confirms that COVID-19 is present in our community and is not an isolated case," said Dr. Gail Newel, County of Santa Cruz Health Officer. “I urge all community members to take steps to protect themselves and their families.”
A prior first case involving a passenger from the Grand Princess cruise ship which visited Mexico is still under investigation and observation. As commercial COVID-19 testing becomes more widely available this week, it is anticipated that the number of confirmed cases will likely increase, and residents are asked to prepare themselves for cases confirming community spread.
The Santa Cruz METRO closed its lobby today for a deep clean. An employee who went home sick Sunday said he may have been exposed to the virus. At this time, there’s no credible evidence of that.
“That person worked up stairs, but we thought it was best to go ahead and disinfect the entire building,” METRO CEO Alex Clifford said.
Buses operated as normal, and the lobby will re-open Tuesday. For the last two weeks, there have already been additional measures taken by the METRO.
“We added a disinfectant to the cleaning that is recommended for the coronavirus. We’ve been doing that when we’ve been servicing our buses at night,” Clifford said.
While COVID-19 is non-lethal for the vast majority of patients and many do not require medical oversight, the disease does present a serious risk for medically vulnerable individuals, particularly those over 60 years old and people with certain pre-existing medical conditions.
Santa Cruz County Public Health strongly urges community members to take precautions to help prevent the spread of illness:
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water, rubbing for at least 20 seconds;
• Use at least 60% alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available;
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand, or use a tissue and discard;
• Avoid shaking hands;
• Don’t touch your face with unwashed hands;
• Regularly clean surfaces touched by many people using normal household cleaners;
• Stay home from work or school if you are sick; and
• Get a flu shot to protect yourself and others from flu, which has similar symptoms to COVID-19.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
