COVID PM: Back to school, Sutter clams up, and remember that bus?
Hello and happy Wednesday — we cross the hump with news that is both encouraging, discouraging and wistful:
➤ Encouraging: For the first time in nearly a year, a county public school returned students to campus in a move that harkens back to the normalcy we all once knew. We caught up with the very cool scene in Scotts Valley.
➤ Discouraging: While Lookout continued to hear from Sutter/PAMF patients concerned about the lack of information they’re receiving on postponed or canceled doses, company representatives did not respond to our attempts to help patients gain clarity.
➤ Wistful: Local favorite Annie Pautsch, who brings people together in her school bus-turned-beer bus “Betty Jane,” will hopefully be back to her Brew Cruz community-building ways sooner than later. Until then, she still has some insight to offer.
To the headlines we go. And be sure to read all the way to the end for COVID PM’s ultimate two-fer deal: A Lookout membership plus a copy of the hottest new book in town.
‘Stoked to have the kids back’
BACK TO SCHOOL: “No one in education got into this career to sit behind a computer,” said Brook Knoll principal Joshua Wahl. “We’re in it for the kids, and without having those daily interactions with them, the job loses a lot of reward.” Those feelings were the result of kindergarten students walking into classrooms for the first time in a year Wednesday morning in Scotts Valley Unified School District. Nick Ibarra articulately paints the school-return picture here.
Sutter mum on canceled second-dose appointments
COVID TODAY: Confusion continues to surround Sutter/PAMF vaccinations after the announcement yesterday that the health system would cancel 90,000 or more second-dose vaccine appointments in Northern California, citing insufficient supply. Sutter Health has not been accepting new first dose appointments since early February. Lookout has made several attempts to reach Sutter Health today for further clarification and received no response. More on what we did learn here.
Quick Take
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When will the wheels on the beer bus go ‘round and ‘round?
PEOPLE IN THE PANDEMIC: For beer lovers — or just lovers of fun, camaraderie, and freedom from deadly airborne viruses — perhaps the most poignant symbol of pre-pandemic Santa Cruz is a one-time school bus named “Betty Jane.” And don’t forget her beloved beer-driven pilot, “Captain Annie.” Wallace Baine caught up with them to explore the better times ahead.
More from here & elsewhere
➤ Biden says Texas made ‘big mistake’ by lifting mask mandate, suggests ‘Neanderthal thinking’ (SF Gate)
➤ How can we support teachers and their mental health amid COVID-19? (LA Times)
➤ COVID-19 helped slash 2020’s carbon dioxide emissions. How will we keep it going? (LA Times)
➤ Anthony Fauci Pleads: Don’t Declare Victory (Wired)
➤ California museums are starting to reopen. Here’s the list (LA Times)
➤ PLAY BALL? Newsom says state is on track to allow fans at MLB games by opening day (LA Times)
➤ Social Graces: Here’s how to handle work colleagues who refuse to get the coronavirus vaccine (Chicago Tribune)
➤ Majority white areas got more PPP business loan money than Latino areas, UCLA study says (LA Times)
➤ Some US bishops discourage Catholics from getting Johnson & Johnson vaccine if others are available (CNN)
#BOLO
The latest update from county health officers will happen Thursday at 2 p.m. We’ll send you an alert with a link to watch, so Be On the Lookout for that. As always, pass along your questions on vaccine, variants, etc and we’ll try to incorporate them into our reporting.
AND FINALLY: If you don’t yet know about our cool book deal, you should. Our very own Kevin Painchaud and Wallace Baine worked alongside the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Shmuel Thaler to produce a unique visual look at one of the strangest years of our lives. The product, ‘2020 Hindsight,’ is beautiful — and free to you if you become a Lookout member. The books even will be signed by the authors. Click here and use HINDSIGHT2020 as the promo code.
See you tomorrow!
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor