Santa Clara County Reports 828 New Coronavirus Cases, 31 Deaths

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — The Santa Clara County Public Health Department reported 828 additional coronavirus cases Thursday.

The latest report brings the countywide case count to 100,468.

The county reported 31 additional coronavirus-related fatalities Thursday, bringing its COVID-19 death toll to 1,344.

There were 503 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the county as of Thursday of which 127 were being treated in intensive care units.

Elsewhere around the Bay Area and beyond, first case of the South African coronavirus variant was detected in the United States Thursday, The Associated Press reports.

The mutated strain was detected in two cases in South Carolina according to the report.
Scientists believe the South African variant is believed to be more infectious than the strain currently dominant in the U.S.

Experts worry that vaccines may be less efficacious against the South African variant.

After a year riddled with difficulties in the face of COVID-19, San Francisco Mayor London Breed laid out plans for the city's road to recovery during her 2021 State of the City address on Thursday.

Breed delivered her address just after Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week lifted a month-long stay-at-home order, allowing for several low-risk activities, including outdoor dining and indoor nail and hair salons, to resume in the city starting on Thursday.

"San Francisco's response to COVID-19 has been hailed as a national model. We have the lowest death rate of any major city in the U.S. and though every life lost is a tragedy, we have saved thousands of lives and now we can see a light at the end of the tunnel," Breed said, speaking from the city's COVID Command Center at the Moscone Center.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department is partnering with Gardner Health Services and The School of Arts & Culture to provide walk-in COVID-19 vaccination services in East San Jose for individuals ages 65+ and health care workers, county officials announced.

The new vaccination site at Mexican Heritage Plaza located at 1700 Alum Rock Ave. is launching Thursday, and will operate every Tuesday and Thursday until further notice.

Wristband distribution to guarantee space during vaccination hours will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and vaccinations will take place from noon to 6 p.m.

Health care workers and East San Jose residents aged 65 and over are eligible for the vaccine, and proof of age or work must be shown.

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There have been 3,261,212 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 39,149 coronavirus-related deaths in California as of Thursday afternoon according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States had 25,732,940 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 432,540 coronavirus-related fatalities as of Thursday afternoon.

There have been 101,371,256 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,187,659 coronavirus-related deaths reported globally as of Thursday afternoon.

— Bay City News contributed to this report