COVID-19 Vaccinations May Begin In Days; Watsonville Case Count

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County may begin vaccinating residents for the coronavirus vaccine as early as next week.

The news came Thursday, as the county announced that it has submitted its COVID-19 vaccine plan to state health officials.

The 28-page plan is dated Dec. 1 and follows recommendations set by the state Department of Public Health, federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It details the minutiae of the county's plan for rolling out vaccinations, ensuring residents are reminded to receive the second dose of the two-part vaccine, identifying high-risk populations and more.

The public is urged to continue wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing, as widespread vaccinations may not come for several months, the county said in a news release. When that time comes, Santa Cruz County will work with primary care providers, clinics and pharmacies to distribute the vaccine.

Local hospitals will be the first to receive the vaccine. The county has already identified which hospital workers are most at-risk.

Long-term care facilities and first responders will also be high priority for receiving vaccines, according to the plan.

Santa Cruz County is considering an outdoor or drive-thru vaccination clinic to safely administer the vaccines, according to the plan. Pop-up facilities are also a possibility, according to the county's news release. No locations have yet been finalized.

The county has identified homeless residents as being among those who could be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and is working with the Homeless Persons Health Project to determine how homeless residents might be reached.

Santa Cruz County is also concerned about reaching people who are underinsured or struggle to access health care due to financial reasons, according to the plan. County officials plan to work with clinics to identify such residents.

As the county continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Santa Cruz County health officials are speaking regularly with health care providers and answering questions from workers in the field.

Meetings are held twice per month to monitor preparations at skilled nursing facilities and discuss planning for surge facilities, which can accommodate patients when all beds have been gobbled up at local hospitals.

The closest state surge facility is at the San Mateo County Event Center, which can accommodate 250 patients, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom's remarks last week.

Statewide, California is set to receive 327,000 COVID-19 virus vaccines in mid-December, the governor said.

Here are the state's priorities for vaccine distribution to health care workers:

• Top priority: acute care, psychiatric and correctional facility hospitals; skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and other settings for older and medically vulnerable people; paramedics, EMTs and other emergency medical service providers; and dialysis centers.
• Second priority: intermediate care facilities; home health care and in-home supportive services; community health workers; public health field staff; and primary care clinics, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, correctional facility clinics and urgent care clinics.
• Third priority: specialty clinics; laboratory workers; dental and oral health clinics; and other pharmacy staff not included in the other tiers. The vaccinations will be distributed across six different regions in California, which are different from the state's five stay-at-home order regions.

There have been 5,523 cases of COVID-19 reported in Santa Cruz County as of Thursday. That includes 1,342 active cases. Fifty deaths have been linked to the virus.

Watsonville remains the epicenter of the Santa Cruz County outbreak, with more than half of all cases being reported here.

Here's the latest breakdown by community:

Aptos: 233

Ben Lomond: 36

Boulder Creek: 42

Capitola: 144

Felton: 45

Freedom: 307

Santa Cruz: 1,227

Scotts Valley: 138

Soquel: 130

Watsonville: 2,926

Unincorporated: 51

Unknown: 244

View the county's plan below: