By Jondi Gumz
Dine-in restaurants, hair salons and barbershops in Santa Cruz County closed since March 16 got the OK to reopen after the state Department of Public Health approved the county supervisors’ Friday request for a variance from the state’s rules to prevent spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19.
County spokesman Jason Hoppin announced the state’s decision on Saturday, pointing business owners to a new order from county Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel and state guidance to reopen.
Businesses must follow requirements for wearing face coverings, providing hand sanitizer, training employees, and social distancing, which includes limiting the number of people allowed in.
The economy locally and statewide has been devastated by the shelter in place order, with jobs in Santa Cruz County shrinking from 114,000 to 90,100 compared to a year ago, boosting April unemployment tot a record 17.4 percent. More than 40 percent of the job losses were in leisure and hospitality.
During Friday’s special meeting, Mimi Hall, director of the county’s Health Services Agency, spoke about the importance of addressing the COVID-19 situation through a public health lens, but the economic devastation was top of mind for people who spoke during public comment.
“My employees are broke, I’m broke,” said Rachael Murphy, owner of Callahan’s Pub in Santa Cruz. “My landlord wants me to pay rent, $5,000 a month.”
Patti Eller Robb, representing El Rancho Shopping Center in Live Oak, wrote a letter saying, “Action is needed before our local community loses even more businesses.”
Others questioned whether the restrictions were necessary given the low case count compared to neighboring counties.
County health officials prepared a 138-page application explaining how the county qualifies for an exception based on the state’s metrics: No more than 20 hospitalizations on a single day for the past two weeks, 1.5 tests per 1,000 residents per day — the county is doing 570 a day — and 15 staff per 100,000 to trace contacts of anyone infected and alert them to get tested.
The county is building up to the 41 needed, with 15 on staff, 26 people to be trained by June 4 and 14 on a list to start training, 10 students and 10 promotoras (health promoters) being identified for training.
As of May 27, the county had 205 confirmed cases, 8,398 negative test results and two deaths, one in March and one in mid-April.
The number of cases reported Saturday jumped to 212, with 96 of them in Watsonville where health officials say unauthorized multi-generational family gatherings on Mother’s Day weekend led to the spread.
Hospitalizations jumped from three to 12, which includes nine suspected cases; the number in intensive care remained one. Of the confirmed cases with one or more chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma, 31 percent required hospitalization.
The application showed how easily the case count can change.
While there has not been an outbreak among jail inmates or among residents of seven skilled nursing facilities, two vulnerable populations, the county experienced its first cluster of COVID-19 cases associated with a shelter for homeless people – 10 of 27 residents tested positive. Those with positive tests were moved to hotels reserved for isolation and quarantine, and Salud Para La Gente assisted in surveillance testing for residents.
The county is housing 521 people in shelters, including hotels reserved for the homeless, and there is capacity for 200 more.
Jim Booth, owner of Jim Booth Swim School, sent emails asking that pools be allowed to reopen.
“I know they are in stage 3 but I think they are essential for the health and welfare for the people of our county, “ Booth wrote, referring to where pools are in the governor’s recovery roadmap. “Where else are people completely immersed in sanitizer, exposed to UV light and fresh air and able to get the exercise they do need?”
Seascape Sports Club, which has a five-lane pool in Aptos, noted the Centers for Disease Control reports there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus can be spread through water in pools or hot tubs.
Bill Simpkins, who financially supported the county’s Simpkins Family Swim Center, emailed asking the pool be reopened to bolster health.
More than 770 people have signed a petition on Change.org, started by Kimberly Rutherfordhttp://chng.it/p9TfDyFXXx , to reopen the pool at Simpkins.
“These are your constituents,” Simpkins emailed.
Massage is not on the list to reopen in the county but massage therapists Julie DePrima and Shannon Innis emailed to say they considered their occupations to be higher risk. They wanted protocols so they and their clients would be safe.
Hollis Molloy, owner of CrossFit Santa Cru, emailed to say he could keep people safe, using an outdoor space for recreation. Gyms are not allowed to reopen but Gov. Newsom has promised guidance will be out soon.
Becky Steinbruner of Aptos wanted beaches, hotels and vacation rentals to reopen. “Tourists are essential travelers because they are the economic lifeblood of the county’s economy,” she said via email.
Frustration was evident during public comment as people lobbed verbal attacks and expletives at Newel and the supervisors. Twice, people standing at the microphone were told to wear their face coverings, and 90 minutes into the meeting, Carlos Palacios, the county administrative officer, ordered the room cleared, and commenters were sent to a basement room to make their statements.
In response, Supervisor John Leopold said, “I stand strongly behind our health officer.”
Supervisor Ryan Coonerty said of Newel and Hall, “They have the board’s full support.”
Supervisor Greg Caput, chairing the meeting, was the only supervisor in the room Friday while the other four attended remotely.
“We’re getting a lot of pressure from all sides … we’re weighing everything the benefit and the burden … a lot of people are afraid of the coronavirus,” Caput said. “We know the economic strain we’re putting on everybody … please don’t direct your anger at one or two people … The good news is hopefully we’re going to be able to open up things. We‘re listening to people and we hear you, OK? Both sides.”
State guidance on schools is expected soon, at which time the county health officer will review the guidance and local epidemiologic data to determine next steps.
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For guidance related to dine-in restaurants, go to https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-dine-in-restaurants.pdf.
For guidance related to barbershops and hair salons, go to https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-hair-salons.pdf. Operations that involve touching faces such as eyelash services, eyebrow waxing/threading and facials are not allowed.