COVID PM: Wallace dishes about his rough Moderna No. 2; county says vaccine supply exceeding demand
Hey, everybody — we are going to begin this edition of COVID PM with a special correspondent dispatch from Wallace Baine, who received his second dose of Moderna on Tuesday afternoon at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
While he cracked us up with jokes about the pending freedom to lick doorknobs and hand rails, what really lay ahead was a Moderna mauling on Wednesday. As I inch closer to my second dose of the same, I will take no comfort in Wallace’s World ...
Baine’s existence: Waiting for ‘normal’ to show up again
In the moments after receiving my second dose of the Moderna vaccine, I sat in a folding chair somewhere around the free-throw line on the court at the Santa Cruz Warriors arena, waiting for … what I wasn’t sure. It was only later that evening when I began to feel something out of the ordinary, something positive. I told my wife Tina that I never felt better. Now fully vaccinated, I was energetic, focused, relaxed, relieved, at the top of my game (such as it is).
But the following morning, as though the vax gods had taken note of my hubris, I woke up feeling hammered by stiffness, achiness, and that general unpleasant buzz of mild fever, a sensation I had not dealt with since the 49ers were in the Super Bowl (seems like years ago, right?). I dragged myself through the day, didn’t say much, laid around like an overbaked zucchini, and began to fantasize about the seating arrangements at my funeral.
The morning after that, though, like a dad just returning from a jaunt to the bodega to get a six-pack, “normal” showed up again. The highs and lows had given way to my pre-vax self. I was past the worst and now bulletproof (-ish).
If this is the bargain you have to make to transcend this awful virus, I’ll take overbaked zucchini every time. — Wallace
Glad you’re back to functional, Wallace. And, yes, there was other COVID-19/vaccine news cooking on Thursday:
➤ SUPPLY BEATING DEMAND: County health officials said Thursday that the supply of vaccine has surpassed the number of people seeking it. What does that mean?
➤ BACK TO THE MUSEUMS: Local museums and galleries are banding together to welcome people back in.
➤ ARE WE BACK TO NORMAL? As we near a moment when outdoor masking guidelines are about to become loosened it begs the question: What’s OK and what’s not?
Those headlines...
County officials also talk outdoor masking
COVID TODAY: Santa Cruz County health officials gave an update on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination efforts. Among the highlights: plans to lift some mask requirements outdoors and plans to stimulate dwindling demand for vaccines. More from Mallory Pickett on that here.
➤ VACCINE WATCH: Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments to California resume as COVID cases keep falling (LA Times)
How one woman turned her passion for sewing and home decorating into a thriving business
How one woman turned her passion for sewing and home decorating into a thriving business
Quick Take
Burgundi Thure, Owner of Sew Rose, provides a one-stop home decorating service for her clients, including creating...
Artistic strength in numbers
PANDEMIC LIFE: From the big players to the small out-of-the-way corners of the county, art and history exhibitors across Santa Cruz County want you to know they’re back in business. Wallace brings you the full report here.
➤ #BOLO: The May events calendar is filling up around the county and Wallace will be running down the highlights for you in the coming days.
Does this mean it’s ‘get back to normal’ time?
PANDEMIC LIFE: People who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can safely stop wearing masks in many outdoor settings, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. And the state and counties are expected to follow along shortly. But there are still reasons to be cautious. As the situations in Oregon and India show, the coronavirus remains a threat. Here’s a rundown of questions answered by our LA Times content partners.
Cabrillo College Website Redesign Drives a New Look for a New Generation of Students
Cabrillo College Website Redesign Drives a New Look for a New Generation of Students
More from here & elsewhere
➤ India’s ruling party leader says ‘responsibility is ours’ for COVID-19 outbreak (CNN)
➤ Biden administration says it’s consulting ‘nonstop’ with India with first aid shipment en route (CNN)
➤ More than 100 US colleges and universities are now requiring students to get Covid-19 vaccinations (CNN)
➤ Will there be a fourth stimulus check? Americans are looking for clues. (USA Today)
➤ Pro-Trump web forums are abuzz with directions to forge COVID vaccine cards (NBC News)
➤ These states are trying to ban or curtail the use of ‘vaccine passports’ (NBC News)
➤ This state has unveiled a reopening plan tied to COVID-19 vaccination rates (ABC News)
Next Tuesday is the big dining event day
“Santa Cruz Eats!” is part of Lookout’s COVID 2021 series, a special initiative to do deep reporting and community engagement on the pandemic — and economic recovery.
Damani Thomas, owner and chef at Oswald; Brad Briske, co-owner and chef of HOME in Soquel; and Gema Cruz, chef at Gabriella Cafe, will join Lookout for a virtual conversation at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4, hosted by Lookout food contributor Amber Turpin and me.
Click here to register for this awesome, FREE event.
Tomorrow is Friday and the weekend weather is looking stellar!
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor