Santa Cruz County Urges Symptomatic Residents To Get Tested

Press release from the County of Santa Cruz:

With the increase of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant, Santa Cruz County Public Health reminds everyone to get tested if they feel sick. Free testing sites are available at www.santacruzhealth.org/corona... under the “Get Tested” button.

Because the Delta variant is more infectious and spreads easily from person to person (particularly indoors), the vast majority of new cases are considered community acquired, with no clear source of exposure. This characteristic limits the effectiveness of contact tracing and case investigations, and Public Health strongly urges everyone to monitor themselves for symptoms.
If symptomatic, individuals should get tested and self-isolate.

Unvaccinated individuals with a known exposure who are not experiencing symptoms should get tested and self-quarantine, per guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). If they test positive, they should self-isolate per CDPH guidance.

Unvaccinated children with household exposures should also quarantine and refrain from attending school during their quarantine period.

Vaccinated individuals who are not experiencing symptoms do not need to quarantine but should get tested 3-5 days after their last exposure and self-monitor for symptoms 14 days following their last date of their exposure. These individuals should wear a mask and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces for the 14-day period. If they develop symptoms or test positive, they should self-isolate.

Public Health strongly encourages anyone with questions or concerns to contact their medical provider or get tested immediately. Uninsured individuals may contact the State’s Medi-Nurse Line to connect with a nurse to talk about COVID-19 symptoms, available 24/7 (877) 409-9052.
Additional COVID-19 vaccine doses are authorized for immunocompromised individuals. Consult with your care providers if you fall into this category. Authorization of additional doses for other high-risk populations is being reviewed at the federal level and are not provided locally at this time.

For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, or call (831) 454- 4242 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

This press release was produced by the County of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author's own.