Morning Lookout: Another COVID death though vax rates up; hot take on Lost Boys remake
Good Morning! It’s Wednesday, September 22 and it will be a lot cooler today — partly sunny with a high of 74. Did you happen to wake up at about 3 a.m. wondering if an earthquake had struck? You weren’t wrong. A 3.4 magnitude shaker struck in Monterey Bay at a depth of about 5.2 miles.
While vaccination rates are up in Santa Cruz County, the county announced the fifth COVID-19 death since August yesterday — all of whom were unvaccinated. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Pfizer announced that its vaccine is safe for children ages 5 and up. Here’s what to know about the timeline of when you can get your kids vaccinated. Also, due to a high demand for COVID-fighting antibodies, healthcare officials are seeing a shortage in California.
But first, let’s start with a hot take from our Wallace Baine about something dear to Santa Cruzans’ hearts:
Say it ain’t so: Could they go and remake ‘The Lost Boys’ without Santa Cruz?
The 1987 movie “The Lost Boys” might be Santa Cruz’s finest moment in cinema, but there’s no indication Hollywood is aiming to return to shoot its reboot of the vampire classic. A remake shot in some other place called Santa Carla would forever de-couple the film from Santa Cruz. And our Wallace Baine thinks that’s worth mourning. Read his full take here.
Quick Take
October 3, 2021 at 2 p.m. marks the first “Spotlight on the Symphony Recital” with a live performance at Cabrillo’s...
Vaccination rates are up, but Santa Cruz County sees another COVID-19 death
Yesterday, Santa Cruz County announced an additional death related to COVID-19, the fifth since August. All five people were unvaccinated, something health officials said would have likely prevented the deaths. However, county vaccination rates have increased and the daily case rate has decreased. Read more insights of the current state of the pandemic in Santa Cruz County from our Grace Stetson here.
What we know so far about when kids can get vaccinated for COVID-19
The question on a lot of parents’ minds right now: When can my kid get one? Millions of children have tested positive for COVID-19 with cases in kids accelerating due to the Delta variant. This has prompted some parents to reportedly fudge their children’s birth certificates to get them vaccinated or seek out doctors willing to vaccinate kids via off-label use — both frowned upon by the FDA and healthcare officials. Here’s what we know right now about the timeline to getting kids under 12 vaccinated.
Big demand makes COVID-fighting antibodies hard to get in California
Health officials in California are warning of shortages and distribution problems for a medical treatment that can keep COVID-19 patients from falling critically ill. Monoclonal antibodies are thought to be a way to counteract the coronavirus before it can begin destroying the body’s organs. Recently, the nation has seen a twentyfold increase in demand for monoclonal antibodies. Read more here.
Sowing the seeds of food security: Growing the Table collab acting upon the increased pandemic need
As food insecurity worsened during the pandemic, local advocates formed Growing the Table, a pilot program to distribute fresh produce to food-insecure families throughout the Central Coast. Since launching in May, the team has distributed nearly 6,000 boxes — and founder Kat Taylor hopes the organization will endure beyond COVID-19 to inspire further changes for those in need. Read more from our Grace Stetson here.
Opening doors, creating space: The MAH needs community support
Opening doors, creating space: The MAH needs community support
Quick Take
Learn more about the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) and how to support and connect with this center for...
Around the state...
San Jose State to pay $1.6 million to athletes over handling of sex abuse allegations: San Jose State University has agreed to pay $1.6 million to more than a dozen female athletes, part of a settlement with the Department of Justice that found that the university failed to properly handle the students’ allegations of sexual abuse by a former athletic trainer. The investigation also found the school retaliated against two employees who raised repeated concerns about a former director of sports medicine. Read more here.
As California’s drought deepens, water use drops only 1.8%: Despite officials urging Californians to cut water usage by 15% to combat drought, actual numbers have been dismal. Officials warn that next year’s cuts in water supply could go even deeper as severe drought grips nearly 90% of California. Residents of the North Coast and Bay Area conserved more than Southern Californians did. Read more here.
Three key takeaways about broadband and California’s digital divide: The pandemic exposed all manner of inequalities, including access to high-speed internet. Almost a quarter of California households did not have broadband subscriptions in 2019, according to a report from California Broadband Council. CalMatters reporter Jackie Botts moderated a Milken Institute discussion on Sept. 21 about the digital divide in California, as well as recent efforts at the state and federal level to address the issue. Read more about what came out of that discussion here.
Around the county...
Kalantari-Johnson to kick off supervisor campaign in bid to replace Coonerty (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Candidates set for Watsonville City Council special election (The Pajaronian)
Search for missing San Lorenzo High School senior continues at Laguna Creek Beach (KSBW-TV)
That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs on everything we’re publishing through the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
To ensure you’re staying informed about all the goings-on in Santa Cruz, consider becoming a Lookout member. Our content isn’t possible without community support.
Have a great day!
Tulsi Kamath
Lookout Santa Cruz
