Four coronavirus clusters reported in Watsonville

The county health officer believes the clusters are because of close contact among large groups of families gathering to celebrate

OF COVID-19 CASESFAIRLY LOW BUT INRECENT WEEKS THEREHAS BEEN AN UPTICK...A FEW CLUSTERSHAVE EMERGED AND THELATINO COMMUNITYSEEMS TO HAVE THEHIGHEST NUMBER OFCOVID-19 CASES IN THECOUNTY...ACTION NEWS EIGHTREPORTER PHIL GOMEZ,TELLS US WHAT THEHEALTH OFFICERS AREDOING TO PREVENT ITSSPREAD"OF THE 205 COVID-19CASES IN SANTA CRUZCOUNTY 91 ARE FROM THECITY OF WATSONVILLE WHICHARE THE MOST CASES INSANTA CRUZ COUNTYCOMPLIANCE HAS HELPEDTO KEEP THE NUMBER OFINFECTIONS DOWN ANDTHAT MAY HAVPRESENTED A FALSESENSE OF SECURITY OVERMOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND,AS LARGE GATHERINGS INSOUTH COUNTYRESULTED IN A SPIKE OFNEW INFECTIONS.FOUR CLUSTERS OFINFECTIONS WEREREPORTED INWATSONVILLE AND THECOUNTY HEALTH OFFICERBELIEVES THEYHAPPENED BECAUSE OFCLOSE CONTACT AMONGLARGE GROUPS OFHISPANIC FAMILIES WHOTRADITIONALLY GATHERTO CELEBRATE EVENTS."SO, WHEREAS OUR COUNTYHAS 33.5% HISPANIC IN OURPOPULATION OVER HALF OFOUR KNOWN CASES, 50.73%ARE NOW IN THE HISPANICPOPULATION"THE COUNTYEMPHASIZED THAT THEWAY TO BEAT THECOVID-19 IS FOR PEOPLETO MAKE AN EFFORT TOFOLLOW THE HEALTHPROTOCOLS, EVEN IF ITINVOLVES SOMETEMPORARY DISTANCINGOF FACE-TO FACEINTERACTING WITHFAMILY AND FRIENDS."ALMOST ALL OF OUR NEWCASES ARE KNOWNTRANSMISSIONS THROUGHKNOWN CONTACTS AND IT'SMUCH MORE LIKELY THAT IT'SOGING TO BE TRANMITTEDFROM PERSON TO PERSON, INA CLOSED FAMILY GATEHRINGSHARING FOOD WITHOUT FACECOVERINGS"THE COUNTY HASESTABLISHED THE "PAJARO VALLEY COVIDCOMMUNITY TEAM IT'S ADOZEN MEMBERS FROMDIFFERENT SERVICEORGANZATIONS, WHOARE ASSIGNED TO REACHOUT--WATSONVILLE CITYCOUNCILMEMBERFRANCISCO ESTRADA IS AMEMBER"THE GROUP HAS HAD ONEMEETING AND ALLSTRATEGIES ARE ON THETABLE RIGHT NOW ANDSLOWLY BUT SURELY WE'RELOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.WE'RE LOOKING AT WHO HASTHE BIGGEST VOICE IN THECOMMUNITY .

JWHO CANREALLY GET THE MESSSAGESOUT"WHILE THE NUMBER OFSANTA CRUZ COUNTY'SCOVID-19 CASES ARE LOWIT'S IMPORTANT TORETAIN A COLLECTIVEAWARENESS THAT THEVIRUS IS STILL EASILYSPREAD ANDRESPONSIBILITY TO KEEPYOURSELF AND OTHERSSAFE."IT JUST TAKES A FEW CASESTO REALLY BLOW IT UP ANDSO THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VEHAD IS HARD FOUGHT ANDWE REALLY WANT TO BECAREFUL NOT TO LOOSE THEMOMEMENTUM""THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT OFFTHE CORONAVIRUS IS TO GOBACK TO THE BASICS: WASHYOUR HANDS, SOCIALDISTANCING AND WEARING AMASK, IN SANTA CRUZ, PHILGOMEZ, KSBW ACTIONNEWS 8A MONTEREY LAB ISOFFERING FREE COVID-19ANTIBODY RETESTI