“Cloth masks are no longer preferred,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said Thursday. Instead, everyone should be upgrading to N95, KN95 and the increasingly popular KF94 models of face masks.
COVID Today
Posted inHealth & Wellness
With hospitals reeling, California tells COVID-positive medical workers to stay on the job
Experts say it’s a necessary solution to staffing shortages amid the ongoing surge of the Omicron variant, yet many workers say the policy could be dangerous.
Posted inCOVID 2022
Vaccine update: Rates, where to find a COVID shot or test; wait, cost and turnaround times
A weekly overview of COVID-19 vaccine progress and availability around Santa Cruz County, plus updates on booster shots, testing and more.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
‘Don’t panic.’ How parents with kids too young to vaccinate can navigate Omicron
COVID case numbers are still going up. Kids under 5 won’t be eligible for vaccination for months. How can parents make smart decisions in the meantime?
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California surpasses astonishing 6 million COVID-19 infections as Omicron wave expands
The arrival of Omicron has pushed daily caseloads to their highest levels and sent a stream of new coronavirus-positive people to the hospital.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
COVID-19, children, climate change are focal points in Newsom’s budget plan
The governor’s plan lays out close to $10 billion in new spending on COVID, climate change, homelessness, inequality and ‘keeping our streets safe.’
Posted inCOVID Today
California weighs order canceling elective surgeries as COVID surges
As a third of hospitals report critical staffing shortages, California’s health department is considering issuing an order postponing many elective surgeries. Many procedures, including a lung transplant, already have been canceled.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Santa Cruz County schools & Omicron: Leaders share early report cards on latest ‘survival mode’
With thousands of students returning to schools across Santa Cruz County this week, school districts are having to navigate another unprecedented challenge: the highly infectious COVID-19 variant Omicron, spreading across communities.
Posted inCOVID Today
Why are rapid tests for COVID-19 in such short supply?
Government officials and private companies failed to anticipate the spike in demand for rapid COVID-19 antigen tests, but they are scrambling to close the gap.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Contemplating a COVID party for your kids? It’s still a bad idea
The apparently milder Omicron variant has some parents thinking it might be helpful to let their kids get infected. But experts say there’s no upside.