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SANTA CLARA COUNTY
11:15 a.m.
Gilroy will have a pop-up COVID-19 testing site this week at the South County Annex (9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy). From July 21 - 24 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. residents can get tested without an appointment, symptoms, insurance, or a doctor’s note, and regardless of immigration status.
MONTEREY COUNTY
6:05 p.m.
The City of Monterey says weekend parking revenue is currently about half of what it was compared to a year ago. Revenue from parking spaces and lots is seen an indication of the level of tourism during the summer. Week on week parking revenue is flat.
6 p.m.
The Monterey City Council will meet Tuesday evening and go over a proposal to increase the city’s hotel tax. The proposal would increase the tax from 10% to 12%. If approved by the council, it would go on the November ballot. It would take a two-thirds vote to pass.
5:45 p.m.
Monterey County’s Health Officer, Dr Edward Moreno, has clarified his comments on the reopening of schools for in-person classes this year in the county. The health officer says “it does not appear that schools will be able to begin the school year with in class, in person instruction”.
1:30 p.m.
*** CLARIFICATION ABOVE. Dr. Edward Moreno, Monterey County’s health officer, says at this time he doesn’t expect schools in the county to open for in-person instruction before the end of 2020. Under California Governor Gavin Newson’s requirements for reopening public and private schools, a school may choose to offer in-person instruction only once their county has been off the state’s monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. Dr. Moreno says he doesn’t expect Monterey County to be removed from the monitoring list in the near future.
1 p.m.
Monterey County Health Officer, Dr. Edward Moreno, says he doesn’t see Monterey County being removed from the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list in the near future. The monitoring list currently has 33 counties on it that the state feels are not sufficiently containing the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. Dr. Moreno says one of the key areas of concern for Monterey County is its case rate per 100,000 people. The county currently has 168 cases per 100,000 people. The state wants that number to be at 100 per 100,000 or below. Dr. Moreno says he doesn’t see this figure moving in a downward trend.
12:45 p.m.
To date, (July 20) 151 inmates at the Monterey County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s an increase of 77 new cases since July 13. Two inmates have required hospitalization. The jail says a total of 360 inmates have been tested for the coronavirus. Staff have also been tested for the virus. Of the 178 staff that have been tested, a total of nine have tested positive.
To try to slow the spread of the coronavirus the jail has opened up a new housing block that is used to detain new inmates in single cells during a quarantine period. New inmates have to test negative before entering general population.
11:05 a.m.
Monterey County is reporting one new death from COVID-19. That brings the total number of fatalities to 19. The county is currently reporting a total of 3,353 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. That’s an increase of 125 cases in the last 24 hours. 221 people have required hospitalization because of the virus. 38,838 tests have been conducted.
Monterey County continues to be on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list. The county is not meeting the state’s requirements when it comes to case rates (the number of positive cases per 100,000 people) and the testing positivity rate (a weekly average of those who have tested positive).
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
8:25 p.m.
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education announced today (Monday) that all public and private schools in the county need to provide distance learning only when school starts.
4:45 p.m.
Santa Cruz County Public Health Division says a number of staff and residents at the Salvation Army Shelter in Watsonville have tested positive for COVID-19. The first case was discovered when a resident was tested as part of preparations for an unrelated medical procedure. After the discovery the county’s Communicable Disease Unit conducted testing at the site and so far a total of eight cases have been recorded. The county says all individuals are asymptomatic. Operations at the shelter have been temporarily suspended, and shelter residents have been relocated to support isolation.
11 a.m.
Santa Cruz County is reporting, as of July 18, a total of 772 known cases of COVID-19. Of those cases 448 are active cases. Fatalities remain at three. 38 new cases were reported on Friday. A total of 59 people have required hospitalization. 23,330 negative lab tests have been recorded.
CALIFORNIA
8:40 p.m.
The California Interscholastic Federation, CIF, has decided that all high school sports will be delayed until December at the earliest.
4:10 p.m.
The California Department of Public Health has released guidance on how personal care services such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and massage parlors can provide outdoor services. The state says other services, such as tattooing, electrolysis, and piercing, cannot be performed outdoors because they require a hygienic environment. Guidelines include:
- conducting operations under a tent or canopy as long as no more than one side is closed, allowing sufficient outdoor air movement,
- requiring face coverings,
- social distancing and more.
Salons and barbershops should not perform a service that would require a customer to have to enter the establishment.
10:55 a.m.
As of July 18, California has 384,692 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the California Department of Public Health. 8,487 new cases were recorded on Saturday. A total of 7,685 have died from the coronavirus. That’s a daily increase of 90 deaths. The rate of positive tests over the last 14 days is 7.4 percent. California’s hospitalizations due to COVID-19 increased by 5 from Friday.