The County of Santa Cruz Public Health Division is announcing additional cases of COVID-19, for a total of seven.
Many more people have been tested in recent days, and more cases are expected. Santa Cruz County Public Health is in daily contact and is actively monitoring all cases. The County of Santa Cruz is now considered to have community spread.
“We have shifted our efforts away from containment and towards mitigation,” Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said. “We continue to work closely with our regional, state and national partners in our efforts to lessen the impact of COVID-19.”
Dr. Newel has issued social distancing and workplace guidelines.In addition, Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued statewide directives on public gatherings, available here.
As of Thursday morning, California Department of Public Health officials have identified a total of 198 COVID-19 cases statewide, including four deaths. With Santa Cruz County considered a moderate risk community, guidance on community mitigation strategies can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation-strategy.pdf.
Additional updated guidance can be found on the California Department of Public Health website at: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Guidance.aspx.
Santa Cruz County residents are strongly urged to take measures to protect themselves, their families and their community. For local information, residents may visit www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, call 211 or text “coronavirus” to 211211.