A fractured approach to reopening across the state and nation has created “a lot of uncertainty” for the long-term response to the Santa Clara County coronavirus, a senior health official said Tuesday.
As the county recovers from several weeks of whiplash reopening, and as cases and hospitalizations increase at a faster rate than ever in California, the county’s path remains unclear without a unified regional response, Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer, told the Board of Supervisors in an update
“Since we have not had a coordinated response in the United States, that will certainly extend the period during which we all need to quickly turn between various strategies,” Cody said. “So I anticipate that our response will continue for many months.”
“Ideally, what I would love to see is a more regional or state response, which would help us tremendously as we are all interconnected, but there is a lot of uncertainty ahead,” added Cody.
The comments came after an exchange with the state that left residents, businesses and officials themselves baffled. In early July, the county requested a variance to advance at a faster rate than the state and was first denied, then approved, within a three-day period. A week later, just as the companies reopened, the county was added to the state watch list again, sparking a new round of closings.
While the Bay Area counties once formed a united front to order closings in the early days of the pandemic, they have since gone on their own to create a patchwork of different rules that have left many confused and frustrated.
For its part, Santa Clara County, where officials resisted criticism and threats for its slower reopening schedule, has managed to maintain a lower case rate than in other parts of the Bay area, Cody told supervisors. Tuesday, even as local hospitalizations increase.
One hundred and sixty-seven people are hospitalized with coronavirus as of Tuesday, up from just 38 people in mid-June, according to county data. Hospitalizations have also been widespread in all hospitals such as Stanford and El Camino, said Dr. Ahmad Kamal of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center system. Valley Medical will renew planning efforts this week for a possible increase in the next two months.
“We remain concerned that if hospitalizations continue to increase, we may run out of capacity, so it is very important that we redouble our efforts,” said Kamal.
Meanwhile, recent infections are spreading more rapidly among those under 50 who then pass COVID-19 to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, health authorities said. Cases remain disproportionately clustered in eight ZIP codes in eastern San José and southern county, and Latinos make up about 44% of cases, and just 27% of the county’s population.
About 86% of the latest cases appear to be from community transmission, meaning it is unclear where patients contracted the virus. As many Bay Area residents live and work across county lines, Cody praised Governor Gavin Newsom for a recent shift to a more “consistent” approach with state orders to stop certain indoor activities and order learning in line for many schools.
“Unfortunately, I think we are doing almost everything we can in Santa Clara County and our challenge going forward will be … a regional and statewide approach,” said Cody. “We will continue to do our part and continue to work so that others will work alongside us.”
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