3rd Santa Cruz County Coronavirus Patient Dies; Beaches To Reopen

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County announced Thursday the death of a third COVID-19 patient amid a recent uptick in cases, and unveiled plans to reopen beaches and loosen restrictions in the days to come.

The patient was a Mid-County man in his mid-90s who was receiving hospice care, the county announced Thursday in a news release. The county is investigating how he got sick, but he is thought to have fallen ill after close interpersonal contact with a family member or caregiver in his home, county Health Officer Gail Newel said during a news conference Thursday.

COVID-19 is considered a major factor in his death, but not the primary cause, the county said. Newel reminded the public that the coronavirus is a threat to all, particularly those who are elderly and medically vulnerable.

There were 28 new cases reported over a two-day period this weekend, the greatest increase by far, she said. Most increases were reported in Latinx residents in the Watsonville area.

An increased case count was expected as businesses began reopening and large memorials were held in the region, Newel said, likely referring to services in honor of fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was fatally shot while on duty. Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the county special permission to allow a large memorial service for Gutzwiller, which was attended by law enforcement officers across the Bay Area.

Most COVID-19 case clusters have been linked to family gatherings surrounding Mother's Day, Memorial Day and graduations, Newel said. The county would just now be starting to see testing reflect any COVID-19 cases linked to recent political demonstrations.

The county continues to recommend against gatherings with people from other households, Newel said, but anyone who plans to meet anyway should try to: minimize contact with others; keep visits short; wear masks; stay six feet away from others; avoid sharing utensils, sports equipment and items; avoid potlucks; and bring your own food.

There has been a slight uptick in hospitalizations, but Newel said the county is not near capacity.

The increase is "something to watch, but not unexpected," she said.

County Loosens Restrictions

Though Santa Cruz County has seen a jump in cases recently, beach restrictions will be eliminated as of Friday, Newel said. She said she hoped to continue beach restrictions until after the July 4 weekend, but it was impossible for officers to continue to enforce the closure. State parks and beaches may have their own regulations.

Santa Cruz County will likely see its COVID-19 case count impacted as beaches reopen and tourists from surrounding areas with higher case counts flock to the region, Newel said.

"People are not willing to be governed any more in that regard," she said.

Face coverings for Santa Cruz County children over age of 2 are now required, she said.

Santa Cruz County's current shelter-in-place will expire July 6 and the county does not intend to have a shelter-in-place order after it expires, she said. Local orders on face coverings, social distancing and skilled nursing facilities will remain in place.

While Newel said she is surprised by and uncomfortable with the speed at which Newsom has allowed reopenings as a public health official, she said she understands the economic risks of remaining closed. It is generally safe for most people to be out and about, as long as they are careful.

Newel urged the public to keep an eye out for contact tracers, whose caller ID will appear as "COVID CA" and phone number will begin with 916 or 454.

There have been 337 known cases of the coronavirus in Santa Cruz County as of Thursday.