Santa Cruz Cancels Free Movie Night Amid Spike In Delta Cases

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Amid concerns of the rapidly spreading delta coronavirus variant, police in Santa Cruz canceled Tuesday's movie night, which was expected to draw more than 600 people, officials said.

The FREE Movie Night & Family Fun Event is set to be rescheduled for the fall, the Santa Cruz Police Department said in a statement.

"As we are sure you are already aware, the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant means that it is now recommended to avoid large gatherings," police said. "While we know this is disappointing, we hope you understand the steps we must take to help keep our community, partners, and staff safe."

The coronavirus case count has risen sharply in the Golden State this week — among both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents. In Santa Cruz County, 256 active cases have been reported.

Last week, Santa Cruz, along with three other counties in the tri-county area began recommending indoor masking due to surging cases.

"The Health Officers of Monterey, Napa, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties state that the Delta variants are spreading quickly in this area and that COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated are increasing," Santa Cruz public health wrote in a July 19 statement.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health formally recommended that state residents resume wearing face-coverings indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.

"We're mindful that there are a lot of people that are still anxious, a lot of people that still need to work with doctors and private settings to work through those anxieties," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

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