SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Public Health Department announced Tuesday that a resident has tested positive for the Delta variant of Covid-19.
The patient is a man in his 50s who experienced mild symptoms. The sample was taken on June 10, county spokesman Jason Hoppin said.
According to Hoppin, the Delta variant is on track to become the dominant strain in the U.S., and represents 14.5% of all California cases. The variant is highly transmissible, and more resistant to treatment.
It is likely there are additional undetected cases of the Delta variant in Santa Cruz County. County health officials are urging all residents 12 and older to get their vaccine, since it is “highly effective” against the Delta variant, Hoppin said.
Health officials say that getting the vaccine helps protect children who are not yet eligible to receive a vaccine. It also helps prevent infection and, in the case of breakthrough cases, reduce symptoms and hospitalizations.
“With the reopening of the economy and slowing vaccination rates, the introduction of a highly transmissible variant creates an especially worrisome situation,” Santa Cruz County Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci said. “For those who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, your risk of serious illness is becoming more likely. The best way to reduce the risk for everyone—including residents not yet eligible to be vaccinated—is to seek a vaccine as soon as possible.”
A list of vaccine local Covid-19 vaccine providers is available at santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine or www.vaccinefinder.org. Employers wishing to set up a no-cost vaccination clinic for their staff may email [email protected].
