COVID-19 case rates have hit their lowest levels in Santa Clara County since officials began to measure them last year. Test positivity rates are also plummeting. Meanwhile, says a County press release, “The county’s vaccination rates are also among the very highest in the nation, as more than 75% of county residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine.”
Tomorrow, Wednesday, Santa Clara County enters California’s “Yellow” COVID tier. A limited local health order will click in, with most of the prior rules being lifted, including the one whereby employers were mandated to maximize telecommuting.
Under the new order, schools and businesses will still have to report new COVID cases, and employers will now have to verify that their staff members are vaccinated.
Said Health Officer and Director of Public Health for the County of Santa Clara Dr. Sara Cody, “Today is a huge milestone on our county’s path out of this pandemic. Because so many members of our community are now fully vaccinated, COVID-19 case rates are at some of the lowest levels we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic. We are now confident that vaccination not only prevents people from getting sick, it also prevents people from spreading COVID-19.”
Come June 15, meanwhile, in a move Cody supports, the State of California will relax masking and social distancing requirements for fully vaccinated people, in accordance with recent CDC recommendations.
The numbers: Over 75% of Santa Clara County residents above age 16 have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Almost 60% of such residents are fully vaccinated. Twelve-to-15-year-olds, newly eligible, will be increasingly inoculated next.
Readers can find the latest info about the COVID-19 vaccines, along with appointment options, at sccfreevax.org.
