COVID 2022

COVID PM: Extra credit for attending this event? Of course. Plus today’s latest news too.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators:

You can breathe a sigh of relief. You are not too late. You did not miss it.

But you’d better get signed up now...

SCHOOL REOPENING: What will it look like?

Lookout event flyer

GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Tonight at 6 p.m., two top Santa Cruz County Office of Education officials — Superintendent Faris Sabbah and Director of School Safety Jennifer Buesing — will join Lookout education correspondent Nick Ibarra in talking all things education, as students are now returning to classrooms. The free event will include simultaneous Spanish translation. Register to attend and submit your questions before the bell rings here.

And now to some headlines...

Another beautiful sign of new life

The Monterey Bay Aquarium will finally reopen.
(Courtesy Monterey Bay Aquarium)

COVID ECONOMY: The Monterey Bay Aquarium will reopen May 15 with masks required, limited capacity, and a prescribed one-way track through exhibition areas. Some play areas, scheduled feedings, and other activities that would encourage congregation will remain closed. More on those details here.

A DAY EARLIER, ICYMI: A loud sign of orange: Giant Dipper screams will return as Boardwalk rides reopen Thursday (Lookout)

ORANGE IS UPON US: Santa Cruz County moves to less-restrictive orange tier effective Wednesday (Lookout)

COVID TODAY: As we move back into orange Wednesday, county cautions that safety is still essential (Lookout)

Buying locally produced food and goods benefits you and your community in more ways than you think.

Another cautionary assessment of ‘not just yet’

Venice

PANDEMIC LIFE: At first glance, the data looks promising for avoiding a step backward in the Golden State. California’s number of average daily coronavirus cases is down 16% over the past two weeks. But experts and public health officials are increasingly alarmed that increases in cases being seen in parts of the U.S. and Europe could eventually threaten California’s progress. More from the LA Times on that here.

More from here & elsewhere

Mobile miracle: A clinic brought vaccine to this tiny city of essential workers just outside of downtown LA (LA Times)
It’s possible to reach herd immunity, then lose it. Repeatedly. Here’s what you can do to help prevent that from happening (CNN)
Florida Gov. DeSantis Rejects Vaccine Passports As ‘Completely Unacceptable’ (NPR)
She’s Vaccinated. He Isn’t. Now What? (New York Times)
WHO report on coronavirus origins ‘only scratched the surface,’ scientists say (NBC News)
Five takeaways from the WHO’s report on the origins of the pandemic (USA Today)

Enjoy the event and see you tomorrow!

Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor