Santa Cruz Local

Santa Cruz County’s health officer limited beach hours and hotel visitors in her latest revision to the COVID-19 shelter order. How deep are the county’s economic problems, with the prospect of far fewer tourists? How do shelter orders impact a county where the largest share of jobs are in leisure and hospitality? We hear from California economist Chris Thornberg and Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce CEO Casey Beyer.

Dr. Catherine Sonquist Forest answers frequently-asked questions on COVID-19. How long do we have to wait for a vaccine and treatment? Can I get an antibody test and what does that mean? Can people without COVID symptoms spread the disease? Does social distancing and wearing masks work? Sonquist Forest is a Santa Cruz County resident and a medical professor at Natividad Hospital in Salinas.

Read Santa Cruz Local's story on new COVID rules, effective late Friday night: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/04/30/santa-cruz-county-covid-progress-prompts-new-rules/

Send us your COVID questions: Email [email protected] or take our survey www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus

Get our free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus

Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers a listener's question on what UC Santa Cruz is doing to help with COVID testing. This is the second installment of 'Santa Cruz Local Answers,' where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions to www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus , by email or voice memo to [email protected], or by voice mail to 831-222-0460.

Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Subscribe to Santa Cruz Local’s free newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward

Yes, I support local journalism! Count me in as a Santa Cruz Local member: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Santa Cruz Local hosted its first town hall meeting Friday, April 17 on Zoom. Our guests: Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi, Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz division president, and Dr. David Ghilarducci, Santa Cruz County’s deputy health officer.

Some takeaways: Santa Cruz County can maybe expand to 60 intensive care beds, but models predict 100 will be needed at a peak in May or June. The plan is to transport patients to hospitals out of county. Dr. Ghilarducci said the shelter-in-place orders are a blunt but effective tool. He expects the economic shutdown to last until the county has broad, widespread testing. Meanwhile, the local hospital system has lost most of its revenue since hospitals have cut elective surgeries. Some front-line workers have seen cuts in pay.

Listen to the full town hall call, where Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter ask your contributed questions.

Transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/04/19/santa-cruz-local-town-hall-medical-leaders-talk-hospital-capacity/

Subscribe to Santa Cruz Local’s free newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward

Yes, I support local journalism! Count me in as a Santa Cruz Local member: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Attend Santa Cruz Local’s members-only solutions meetup 8 a.m. Tuesday April 21: https://santacruzlocal.org/event/members-only-solutions-meetup/

Details emerged this week from California and Santa Cruz County leaders on what it will take to lift the shelter orders. The county still lacks about 50 ventilators it needs for a potential peak of 100 severe COVID-19 cases, county health leaders said. That peak could come as late as June. Santa Cruz summer traditions remain up in the air, including the Wharf to Wharf footrace, Junior Lifeguards and visits to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Read the transcript to Thursday's news conference: www.santacruzlocal.org

Attend the Santa Cruz Local Town Hall 12:30 p.m. Friday April 17: https://santacruzlocal.org/event/santa-cruz-local-town-hall/

Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Sign up for Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus

Santa Cruz Local is seeing its fastest growth since its launch in August. Co-founders Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter take you behind the scenes. We share where we're heading with the company. One of the biggest things that sets Santa Cruz Local apart is our commitment to community listening. We discuss our business goal for April ㅡ reaching 600 active members ㅡ and how that sets us up to better listen.

Become a Santa Cruz Local member: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Upgrade your membership tier: www.santacruzlocal.org/account

Attend Friday's Santa Cruz Local Town Hall: www.santacruzlocal.org/events

At a news conference Thursday, Santa Cruz County health officials said they were encouraged by the relatively low numbers of COVID hospitalizations in our county. However, the county still only has a maximum intensive care unit capacity of 50 beds. Dr. Gail Newel said she plans to extend her shelter-in-place order past May 3. Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter explain their key takeaways from the conference. And they ask the health officials your questions.

Transcript: www.santacruzlocal.org

Submit your questions. We'll ask them at the next health department news conference. www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus

We share tape from a special Santa Cruz City Council meeting that took place Tuesday. Mayor Justin Cummings spoke about coming together after the March 3 election. New city council members Katherine Beiers and Renee Golder also gave statements after they were sworn in through a video conference call.

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers your questions on coronavirus testing: Who gets tested? What is the process? How long does it take? Why is testing limited in Santa Cruz County and when will that change? Jerimiah talked to a medical leader, a scientist and others to get some answers.

This is the first installment of 'Santa Cruz Local Answers,' where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions to www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus .

Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz County public schools are shut down through the end of the academic year, to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Families, teachers and school administrators have been forced to adapt quickly. Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Stephen Baxter and Kara Meyberg Guzman focus on two questions: What’s working for students and parents with distance learning? And what can we do to help kids get comfortable with the new normal?

Transcript: www.santacruzlocal.org

Sign up for our free email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus

Support our journalism with a membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Donate to the Live Oak Education Foundation for Chromebooks for Live Oak students: http://www.liveoakedfoundation.org/