My wife Sarah and I drove through Watsonville today to take a few photos for the Pajaronian and get a sample of how the city feels as we aim toward the fourth week of the stay at home order. Signage was posted at Watsonville Plaza to not enter, just like Ramsay Park and other such public spots. We looked into the Veteran’s Memorial Building on East Beach Street and saw a crew toning up the main hall to make way for a temporary shelter.
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A second person has died in Santa Cruz County for COVID-19, the County Health Dept. said. The man, who was in his late 60s, died early Tuesday and had been hospitalized since April 9. He had an underlying health condition, county officials said, and his case was community-acquired. He lived in South County and worked at a local university, officials said. There are now 91 confirmed cases, with 37 recoveries in Santa Cruz County. Monterey has 87 cases with 18 recoveries and three deaths.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom cautiously spelled out the direction forward regarding COVID-19 Tuesday during a noon press conference. He spoke of a new phase and was optimistic about the results of Californians staying at home, which he said will stay in place for the next two weeks. “Millions of you you have bent the curve in California, the models have changed,” Newsom said.
Newsom said he is teaming with the governors of Oregon and Washington to help build a plan. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he is forming alliance with six other northeastern states to explore how to eventually lift restrictions. That move is being seen by some as a blunt rebuttal to President Trump, who claims the president is ultimately in control of lifting restrictions around the county. That message is contrary to the idea that it was various governors, including Newsom, who imposed their own state order to say at home and maintain social distancing, not Trump, who came out of the gate late on the issue.
Trump said, “For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some of the fake news media are saying that it is the governors [sic] decision to open up the states, not that of the president and the Federal Government.”
Cuomo fired back, “President Trump says his power is total. We don’t have a king, we have a president. We ran away from a king. The president is just wrong.”
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Tonight between 6-7 p.m. Supervisor Zach Friend and Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart will hold a live streaming talk to address current issues on the virus.
