Morning Lookout: Ill effects of ‘viral vacation,’ UC strikers gird for long haul, final vote tallies

Greetings, everyone. It is Wednesday, Dec. 7, and a chilly start will give way to mostly sunny skies around Santa Cruz County and highs in the 50s, a bit of a break before rain returns Thursday and into the weekend.

If you fancy a solo tour of Lookout’s latest, we’ve got you covered.
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A “viral vacation” might not sound all that appealing, but that’s what many of us have been on in recent years as pandemic measures kept us masked and distanced from germs. That, local health officials tell Max Chun, is behind a surge in cases of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in addition to COVID, resulting in crowded emergency rooms.

At UC Santa Cruz, meanwhile, union organizers are doubling down on their tactics amid the ongoing academic workers strike and calling on colleagues across the University of California system, Hillary Ojeda reports after a meeting Tuesday night that brought together representatives from all 10 UC campuses.

And with Election 2022 results now certified, we’ve got the final vote tallies in chart form for all 40 Santa Cruz County races.

Lily Belli also has the dish on what Midtown space chef Katherine Stern will be taking over with her latest venture, The Midway, and plenty more in her latest food and drink letter.

To the headlines!

‘Viral vacation’ behind local illness surges, record emergency room visits

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

COVID isn’t the only thing surging, as flu and RSV continue to make the rounds in Santa Cruz County. Those infections, coupled with a few years of lower exposure to common illnesses amid pandemic measures, have people crowding emergency rooms to seek tests for all three. Get the details from Max Chun.

➤ COVID DASHBOARD: Cases jump nearly 40% as RSV and flu cause more misery (Lookout)

UCSC union organizers hunker down for ‘long-haul strike’

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

As the quarter comes to a close, UC Santa Cruz union leaders are encouraging fellow members to hold strong to the University of California academic workers strike despite mounting pressures. They held a virtual meeting Tuesday night attended by 500 participants across the UC system. Hillary Ojeda reports.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: With finals looming, UCSC students face unknowns as academic worker strike likely to continue through quarter (Lookout)

Just like that, you’re teed up for another hump day. Lookout does have more coming, as usual, meaning you’d do well to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you don’t miss any Santa Cruz County news coverage. We also offer breaking news alerts and a host of other newsletters, which you can sign up for here.

And I say this a lot, but it’s no less true: What we do here at Lookout isn’t possible without community support — so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.

Enjoy the Wednesday sunshine!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz