Santa Clara County Reports 308 New Coronavirus Cases, 8 Deaths

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — The Santa Clara County Public Health Department reported 308 additional coronavirus cases Monday.

The latest report brings the countywide case count to 105,386.

The county reported eight additional coronavirus-related fatalities Monday, bringing its COVID-19 death toll to 1,546.

There were 326 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the county as of Monday of which 97 were being treated in intensive care units.

Elsewhere around the Bay Area and beyond, Rep. Ron Wright died Sunday after testing positive for the coronavirus, NPR reports.

The Texas Republican became the first sitting member of Congress to die after testing positive for COVID-19 according to the report.

Wright, who died 67, is among 60 members of congress who have tested positive for the virus according to the report.

Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, a Louisiana Republican, died at 41 after testing positive for COVID-19 in December before taking office.

A new vaccination site for Santa Cruz County residents opened on Monday in Watsonville.

The new site, located in the council chambers of Old City Hall (250 Main St.), will operate Thursday through Monday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offer 210 vaccination appointments per day.

Currently, the county is offering vaccine appointments to all health care workers, residents 75 years and older and residents 65 years and older who live in the 95019, 95076 and 95077 zip codes, as those are some of the hardest-hit areas with higher COVID-19 positivity rates.

"Vaccines administered to elderly residents are 300 times more likely to save a life than one administered to healthy adults under age 50," county spokesman Jason Hoppin said.

The Mount Diablo Unified School District Governing Board on Wednesday will discuss the status of plans to reopen schools in the district that have remained closed since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Superintendent Adam Clark last week wrote in a letter to district families and staff that he will provide at Wednesday's board meeting a "formal update regarding our COVID-19 safety protocols, state and county requirements for reopening, and the status of negotiations.

"In January, Clark told the school board that distance learning would continue in the district at least into March after reopening plans approved by the board late last year were postponed due to the state's regional stay-at-home order.

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There have been 3,424,881 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 44,261 coronavirus-related deaths in California as of Monday afternoon according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States had 27,077,450 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 464,768 coronavirus-related fatalities as of Monday afternoon.

There have been 106,428,655 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,323,761 coronavirus-related deaths reported globally as of Monday afternoon.

— Bay City News contributed to this report