As we continue to follow “shelter in place” guidelines, I want to thank all of you for getting us to a point where we are can move into the second phase.
Despite hardships and disruption of your daily lives, your cooperation in stopping the spread of COVID-19—by staying at home, keeping a social distance and wearing a face covering when necessary—brought us to place where Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Sara Cody, could loosen restrictions a bit.
Starting May 4, construction projects resumed, such outdoor businesses as plant nurseries reopened, child care for essential workers became available and we started to enjoy some recreational activities, including golf and tennis. For all the details, visit sccphd.org.
However, we still need to keep following initial guidelines and the new safety precautions that are required as a condition of some of the activities now allowed. Until we have a vaccine, our vigilance is the most effective tool we have to fight this deadly virus.
There are five indicators that Dr. Cody looks at before deciding if some of the restrictions can be loosened. She says that we’re doing well on the first two:
- The total number of cases in the community is flat or decreasing, and the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is flat or decreasing.
- We have sufficient hospital capacity to meet the needs of residents.
But Dr. Cody wants to see more progress on these indicators:
- Sufficient COVID-19 viral detection tests being conducted daily.
- Sufficient case investigation, contact tracing and the capacity to take care of those who need to be isolated or quarantined.
- At least a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment available for all healthcare providers.
The county has ramped up testing for COVID-19 with community-based sites along with those already established, but many testing sites are not being used to capacity. Visit sccgov.org/cv19testing to determine if you should be tested and to find a testing site.
Currently, the county has the capacity to investigate 25 new cases a day, each of whom may have only a few contacts because of the “shelter in place” order. Health officials believe we will need the capacity to investigate and contact trace 50-75 cases a day, with an anticipated average of 40 contacts per case. To reach this goal, the current team needs to expand to about 1,000 members, including volunteers. More information about this will be available soon.
A significant number of individuals will need to isolate or quarantine to make our contact tracing efforts effective. We will need substantial support from cities and other community partners to help provide housing, food, income support and other services.
We also do have all the personal protective equipment that we need. Acute care hospitals’ basic PPE needs are generally being met, but this is because patient volume is extremely low. As patient volumes return to normal, PPE usage will increase significantly. Regular-size N95 masks and gowns are still in short supply.
My office emails a daily newsletter devoted to COVID-19 information and resources. To get on our mailing list, call my office at 408-299-5030 or email me at dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org. You can also visit the District 3 webpage at supervisorcortese.org and click on COVID-19 at the top of the page for past newsletters.
Please take care of yourselves and your families.
Dave Cortese has been the District 3 representative on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for over a decade.
