Morning Lookout: From COVID testing to IV therapy; meet the hunger fighter of the year
Good morning, Santa Cruz County! Today is Tuesday, March 8, and we’ve got another sunny day ahead, with highs around 70.
COVID-19 numbers in our area remain on a downward trend — which you can see in Lookout’s new dashboard — and CruzMedMo, a local company that did brisk business in same-day testing during the Omicron surge, is expanding its offerings to include IV therapies.
Meanwhile, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County recently honored those who have helped combat food insecurity amid the pandemic, and we caught up the newly minted hunger fighter of the year.
And local author Karen Joy Fowler has a new book out today — and will discuss it during an in-person event on the UC Santa Cruz campus this evening.
So let’s dig on in all the headlines:
Tests, vaccines and ... IVs?
CruzMedMo, the local medical group that offered day-of COVID-19 testing results during the Omicron surge, is expanding its services to include some new, trendy procedures. Lookout’s Max Chun gets the details.
➤ MORE HEALTH NEWS: This treatment can protect vulnerable people from COVID. But many don’t know about it (Los Angeles Times)
2022 Watsonville Film Festival honors landmark American film
2022 Watsonville Film Festival honors landmark American film
Introducing our new and improved COVID dashboard
Our revised data set includes the most important numbers to provide us all the context we need for the moment we’re in, while dropping other data that has become less relevant. Check it out here.
➤ VACCINE STUDY: How effective are COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11? New data offer some answers (Los Angeles Times)
Q&A: Darrie Ganzhorn, hunger fighter of the year
2021 produced unprecedented hunger in Santa Cruz County. Among those recognized by Second Harvest Food Bank for helping meet the need is the longtime leader of the Homeless Garden Project, Darrie Ganzhorn. Here’s what she told Lookout’s Christian Abraham.
➤ PREVIOUSLY: Homeless Garden Project one step closer to a permanent home in Pogonip (Lookout)
➤ WORKING TO REACH NEW COMMUNITIES: See all the most recent listings here.
- Guest Services Representative at The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Manager, Partnership Sales at Santa Cruz Warriors
- Community Outreach Representative at Santa Cruz Community Credit Union
****
Karen Joy Fowler explores a famous American family in her latest novel
“Booth” is not primarily a story of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, but of his family as a whole — and it’s out today, with its author, Santa Cruz’s Karen Joy Fowler, taking part in an in-person discussion on the UCSC campus this evening. Get the scoop here from Lookout’s Wallace Baine.
➤ OUR FULL EVENTS CALENDAR: BOLO, your place to go for things to do
Biden to block Russian oil imports in latest round of sanctions on Kremlin
The decision to target Russia’s most lucrative industry despite the likelihood of higher energy prices at home comes as bipartisan support in Congress appears to be coalescing behind restrictions on Russian energy. Our partners at the Los Angeles Times have the latest.
➤ ON THE HOME FRONT: ‘Imagine not knowing’: Ukrainians in Santa Cruz, Bay Area fear for their loved ones (Lookout)
The NFL has been using an unproven measure to get players with COVID back on the field fast
Doctors and scientists are debating whether a little-known measure in COVID testing should be used to distinguish who is infectious from who isn’t. The NFL adopted the practice, but laboratory professionals caution against its use. Our partners at Kaiser Health News explain.
➤ MORE FROM THE SPORTS WORLD: A continuing lockout, canceled games and a lot of anger. What’s next for MLB? (Los Angeles Times)
CLICK HERE TO BECOME A LOOKOUT MEMBER
Around the county ...
➤ Student replica gun threat causes Watsonville High lockdown (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
➤ Highway 17 reopens after crash closes southbound lanes, snarls commute (KSBW-TV)
➤ PG&E to test GM’s electric vehicles as backup power for Northern California homes (Bloomberg)
That should be plenty of fuel to launch us into Tuesday. But fear not, Lookout has plenty more on tap today, including the latest newsletter from our food and drink maven, Lily Belli. And how do you get that delivered right to your phone or inbox? Why, check out the Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, of course. You can also keep tabs throughout 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 Tuesday, all — see you back here tomorrow morning.
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz
