All 280 California State Parks have been closed to all day use visitors and all vehicles are being turned away during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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The first case of COVID-19 was announced in Santa Cruz County on March 6 and now — three weeks later — is the first death in the county (Saturday).
Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County Health officer said she and officials were greatly saddened by the first death, but she added that positive work in being completed. She said it is “an indication we are doing a great job. We are below our previous projections.”
“We’re not close to New York or Italy in numbers. Shelter in place in working. We are flattening the curve,” she said.
Thus far, of the 287 test results, 41 people have tested positive in the county. Newel emphasized three important points in not getting the virus:
• Stay at home.
• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet.
• Cover your cough.
“These all add up to better results than any one of them,” Newel said.
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In Wuhan, China, where officials said the coronavirus broke out, there has been just one new case reported in the last 10 days. The city has also just reopened their public rail transportation. Seattle, where the virus first appeared in the U.S., is reporting lower numbers of cases, too.
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City officials in Santa Cruz have closed off most parking lots along the heavily travelled West Cliff Drive, which offers access to scores of beaches and dazzling views of the wave-battered rocky coastline. The move, officials said, was to deplete the number of people flooding the area.
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Pinnacles National Park is closed to all day use, however, campgrounds do remain open for those with reservations.
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Governor Gavin Newsom is working on getting 10,000 ventilators up and running soon. Currently there are 1,400 in operation.
The vacuum company Dyson has switched its operations over to manufacture medical ventilators and hopes to produce 15,000 in April.
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President Trump continues to incorrectly state that the U.S. has tested for coronavirus more than any other country. Per capita, S. Korea has done 5 times more, and Italy has performed four times as many.
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A man and woman suffered major injuries in a solo-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in Capitola. Capitola Police Detective Sgt. Cliff Sloma said the crash occurred at 5:11 p.m. on the 600 block on Park Avenue. The car they were traveling in reportedly struck a tree and caught on fire. Sloma said it appears that alcohol played a role in the crash. The incident is still under investigation
