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Santa Clara County health officials have urgently called on people to continue taking precautions after seeing an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and an increase in hospitalizations.
“What is significant about the increase in the number of cases that we are seeing now is that it is different from the slow increase that we have seen during the month of October,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer. “Over the last week we’ve seen a big surge, more like a surge, and that concerns me and it affects all of us because it could mean that we are in a big increase which will be difficult to control.
Health officials said they saw 358 new cases of COVID-19 reported on November 8, just after the record 385 cases reported on July 15, and that infections are mostly among those aged 18 to 34.
“It’s no longer a drift, and our cases are increasing,” Cody said.
She added that local hospitals were now caring for more than 100 people infected as of November 8. Cody also urged residents to get their flu shots to reduce hospital overcrowding.
“The sharp rise is a worrying sign of what is going to happen with our hospitals,” she said.
On November 8, Santa Clara County reported 24,490 positive COVID-19 cases and 430 illness-related deaths.
Cody said she couldn’t elaborate on a specific reason for the recent increase, but said Halloween gatherings and “pandemic fatigue” may have contributed to the outbreak.
County Legal Counsel James Williams and Business Engagement Unit Chief Michael Balliet said Santa Clara County continues to enforce its health order.
Balliet said the county had issued 79 violation notices and $ 600,000 in fines to businesses for continuing to ignore COVID-19 restrictions. So far, the county has received more than 1,850 reports of COVID-19 issues at different businesses and establishments, of which 1,307 have been resolved, Balliet said.
Williams added that Calvary Chapel is the only facility for which the county has sought a court order to end the ongoing violations of health orders. Church leaders there held indoor religious services with 600 people without masks or social estrangement, despite the county’s warning.
Santa Clara County Supervisory Board Chairman Cindy Chavez has urged people to remain cautious and not let their guard down around people who reside outside their homes, even friends and family.
“We sometimes think that if we know someone, they can’t give us COVID,” Chavez said. “I don’t know why human beings think this, but when I saw people do this where they don’t know anyone and they are more willing to put on their masks. But when they see someone, even if they haven’t seen them for a long time, they touch them, they kiss them. They think households are everyone I know. This is not your home. “
Health officials have warned people to avoid non-essential travel, such as travel to visit family at multi-household gatherings or outside of the Bay Area. They recommended people not to travel outside of the Bay Area for vacation.
Cody said if families choose to come together, they should wear masks, keep their distance and stay outside.
“With cases increasing across the country and starting to increase here in Santa Clara County as well, we must all come together and continue our efforts to reduce transmission,” Cody said. “When people who live in different houses or apartments are together at the same time in the same space, the risk of the spread of COVID-19 increases, even when the people are relatives or friends.”
Vicente Vera contributed to this report.
Contact Mauricio La Plante at [email protected] or follow @mslaplantenews on Twitter.
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