COVID-19 Update – December 26, 2020

12/27/2020

By DDTV

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We write to provide our weekly update related to the County of Santa Clara’s COVID-19 response efforts. As 2020 comes to a close, it’s worth remembering how far we’ve come. Since one of the first COVID-19 cases in the nation was detected in our county in late January, it has been a year of uncertainty, loss, and sacrifice. This silent virus, undetectable to some and fatal to others, has waged a grueling battle that has altered the lives of every resident in our county. But our community has been up for the fight. Santa Clara County was one of the first places in the nation affected. Our residents experienced many of the first cases and first known instances of community transmission. The first known COVID fatality in the country was one of our residents. Back in early April, our County (which makes up 5% of the California population) accounted for 10% of all COVID cases in California and 15% of deaths. Through early and consistent action and the discipline of our residents, we were able to flatten the curve. Even with the recent surge, Santa Clara County now accounts for 3.1% of all COVID-19 cases and 2.8% of deaths in the State. The sacrifice and commitment of our residents to keep our community safe has unquestionably saved lives.

Still, there is more work to do. The dark winter so many worried about has arrived. This week, County leaders continued to urge extreme caution as we navigate through the most dangerous period of the pandemic. COVID-19 is as prevalent as it’s ever been in our community. Case counts and hospitalizations continue to break records, though this week’s rate of growth was not quite as sharp as it has been. The daily death count, unfortunately, is only growing steeper. An additional 69 deaths among individuals with COVID were announced this week. COVID-19 is now on track to become the third leading cause of death in Santa Clara County.

As another major holiday approaches, the message remains the same. Don’t gather for New Year’s. Cancel your travel plans. Stay within your household bubble. We need everyone’s help again. The level of virus in our community is so high that any additional surge from these holidays would be disastrous. Our hospitals remain at the brink, with ICU beds continuing to fill with COVID positive patients. Now 44% of all ICU beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, up from 16% just a month ago. We have only 22 ICU beds remaining before we reach standard (non-surge) capacity. We have an exhausted healthcare workforce that has been caring for a higher number of more medically complex patients, all while dealing with the emotional exhaustion of the COVID era and the heartbreak of watching patients pass away in isolation from their families.

A new year awaits, full of both hope and more uncertainty. But, the future remains in our hands. COVID-19 is preventable. We have the same tools at our disposal that we’ve always had and that have proven effective. There is still a long battle ahead as we await widespread vaccination. A lot of life can be saved during that time through simple actions.

COVID-19 Cases in Santa Clara County

Over the last seven days, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department announced 69 new deaths among individuals with COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 652 in Santa Clara County. Nearly 8,400 new cases were reported this week. The total case count has now reached 63,302. Our 7 day rolling average of new cases (based on specimen collection date) has reached 1,231 cases per day.

As of yesterday (Christmas Day), there were 630 COVID positive patients hospitalized in Santa Clara County. Of these hospitalizations, 150 were in the ICU (up from 128 last week and 93 the week prior). COVID positive patients now occupy 44% of all ICU beds, while an additional 1% are occupied by patients under investigation. Non-COVID patients occupy 42% of the ICU, while just 13% of beds are currently available. These ICU bed capacity numbers already factor in surge beds that are staffed. When looking at our standard (non-surge) ICU bed capacity, we have only 7% of ICU beds (just 22 beds) available. More data can be found through the Public Health Department’s Data Dashboards.

Congress Passes New COVID-19 Relief Package, Waiting for President’s Signature

On Monday this week, Congress approved a $2.3 trillion legislative package that contains both appropriations for Federal Fiscal Year 2021 and additional COVID-19 relief, marking the first COVID relief package passed by Congress since April. President Trump has expressed criticism about the bill following its passage, raising the possibility of a veto or a “pocket veto” (where the President could cause the bill to fail by refusing to act on it before the new Congress convenes on January 3^rd). In other words, a lot of uncertainty remains about whether this relief package will ultimately become law. If it does, the bill would extend all pandemic unemployment programs by 11 weeks and restore the federal supplemental unemployment insurance benefit by $300 per week. It would provide $325 billion in small business supports, including $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, $20 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advance grants (which would provide up to $10,000 to small businesses that remain severely impacted by the pandemic), and $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions. The bill would provide direct economic assistance of $600 per person (and per dependent child) for individuals earning up to $75,000 per year and couples earning up to $150,000. The bill also includes some additional funding for vaccine development and distribution, child care relief, and rental assistance, among other details. The bill does not contain any direct aid for struggling state and local governments.

California Small Business Relief Grant Program to Begin Accepting Applications on December 30^th

The $500 million COVID-19 Relief Grant program announced by the State in late November will begin accepting applications for Round 1 of funding this week. The application period opens on Wednesday, December 30^th at 8am and closes on Friday, January 8, 2021 at 11:59pm. This program, administered by the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), will provide grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses and non-profit organizations that have been impacted by health and safety restrictions implemented as a result of the pandemic. See here for updates on the availability of funding and how to apply.

Vaccine Update

The COVID-19 vaccine program continued its rollout this week. Acute care hospitals across Santa Clara County are vaccinating their employees, while the County Public Health Department continues its daily vaccine clinic, providing vaccinations to several hundred staff of local skilled nursing facilities each day. This week, the County also began vaccinating medical first responders, including EMS workers and Fire staff. Under a direct agreement with the federal government, large retail pharmacies (e.g. CVS and Walgreens) are in charge of vaccinating residents of Long-Term Care Facilities. This program is expected to begin this coming week in California.

Nationwide, we remain in the very first phase of the CDC’s vaccination schedule (Phase 1A), which includes healthcare personnel and residents of Long-Term Care Facilities. While it will take time to get through Phase 1A, preparations for future phases are beginning. Over the past weekend, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the primary body charged with prioritization recommendations, established the next rounds of broad prioritization (Phases 1B and 1C). When the time comes, Phase 1B will include individuals who are 75 years of age or older as well as frontline essential workers. Frontline essential workers are not exhaustively defined, but the Committee mentions first responders, the education sector (including teachers, support staff, and childcare workers), corrections workers, public transit workers, manufacturing workers, grocery workers, food and agricultural workers, and U.S. Postal service employees. Phase 1C includes other essential workers, as well as individuals between the ages of 65 and 74, and those ages 16 to 64 with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19. For more information on ACIP’s latest prioritization recommendations, see here and here.

There is still a great deal we do not know about how much vaccine will be available in the coming months and how quickly we will be able to move from one phase to another. We also don’t yet have more granular guidance from the State for Phase 1B or 1C (as was provided for Phase 1A). But, we will be learning more and more in the coming days and weeks. For regular updates on the vaccination program, visit our COVID-19 vaccine website. While we await widespread vaccination of the community, we must continue to follow all existing safety measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19; it will take many months to reach the level of vaccination needed to protect the population as a whole.

County Testing Locations – Week of December 28^th

The community testing program operated by Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) continues to offer extensive drop-in and appointment-based COVID-19 testing at several locations across the county. This week will feature a holiday schedule at all sites. There will be no testing on January 1^st. However, the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds site will operate all other days, including December 31^st. Additional Monday hours will be offered at the Emmanuel Baptist Church and South County Annex sites and additional drop-in testing will be offered at the Public Health Resource Hub in East San José on Wednesday. Residents can book an appointment for the Fairgrounds or the various rotating city sites in Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, or English. See below for this week’s schedule or visit www.sccfreetest.org for additional information.

Drop-in Testing – Walk-Up:

· Emmanuel Baptist Church: 467 N. White Road, San José, 95127

Monday, December 28 through Wednesday, December 30 from 11am to 5:30pm
Thursday, December 31 from 9am to 3pm

· South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary): 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy

Monday, December 28 through Wednesday, December 30 from 10am to 4:30pm
Thursday, December 31 from 9am to 3pm

· Public Health Resource Hub in East San José: 1775 Story Rd., San José, 95122

Wednesday, December 30 from 11am to 5:30pm

Appointment-Based Testing – Drive-through/Walk-Up/Bike Access:

· Santa Clara County Fairgrounds – Lot A – 344 Tully Road, San Jose, parking lot across from Gate B and across from the Blue Arch

· Monday, December 28, 7am -3pm

· Tuesday, December 29 and Wednesday, December 30, 7am to 6:30pm

· Thursday, December 31, 9am to 3pm

· Closed Friday, January 1

· Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, Jan 3, 9am to 3:30pm (also open Sunday, December 27)

Appointment-Based Testing – Walk-up:

· Sunnyvale, Murphy Park, 260 N. Sunnyvale Ave., Sunnyvale

Monday, December 28, 9:30am – 4pm

· Los Gatos, Adult Recreation Center, 208 E. Main St., Los Gatos

Wednesday, December 30, 9:30am – 4pm

Additional Community Testing Options

While several community partners won’t be offering their usual COVID-19 testing events this upcoming week due to the holidays, several state-contracted testing sites are providing at least some testing this week. See below for those locations and links to book an appointment:

Verily’s Project Baseline at Independence High School: 617 N. Jackson Ave., San José. Click here to schedule an appointment.
Verily’s Project Baseline at Mount Pleasant High School: 1750 S. White Road, San José. Click here to schedule an appointment.
OptumServe at Gilroy Civic Center: 7351 Church St., Gilroy. Visit here or call (888) 634-1123 to schedule an appointment.
OptumServe at James Lick High School: 2951 Alum Rock Ave., San José. Visit here or call (888) 634-1123 to schedule an appointment.