Santa Cruz County ties record for most deaths reported in a day

Seven deaths were reported Wednesday

SANTA CRUZ >> Active known cases of COVID-19 are decreasing while recovered known cases are increasing — just one of many encouraging metrics. Santa Cruz County on Wednesday, however, matched its record for the most COVID19-related deaths reported in a single day.

This is the third time since the pandemic began that the county has recorded seven deaths in one day; previously, the jurisdiction hit that milestone Jan. 21 and Jan. 27. The second time it happened, Gov. Gavin Newsom had just recently announced the expiration of the mass stay-athome order.

Due to a change in county reporting policies in March, the date of death for each case is not available.

In the last week, the county has reported 13 new deaths; two were reported Feb. 17, one was reported Feb. 18, one was reported Feb. 19, two were reported Tuesday and seven were reported Wednesday. Of the four reported deaths last week, two of the deceased were men and two of the deceased were women.

One of the women was white while the other was Latina; both men were white. One woman was in her 60s and the other in her 70s; one man was in his 70s and the other was in his 80s. Both of the women had preexisting medical conditions that contributed to their death, while just one of the men could have said the same. Of all four, just one fatality — a woman — was a resident of a congregate living facility; she resided at Sunshine Villa in

Santa Cruz.

On Tuesday, the county received death certificates for two women, both Latina and both in their 40s. Both had preexisting medical conditions that contributed to their death; neither was a resident of a congregate living facility. On Wednesday, certificates came in for one man and six women; six of the individuals had a preexisting medical condition while the remaining one did not. Three of the individuals were Latino while four were white; two individuals were in their 60s, two were in their 70s and three were in their 90s. Just one was a resident of a congregate living facility — Maple House II in Live Oak.

When deaths began flowing in around the September, October and November congregate living facility outbreaks, residents of skilled nursing and residential care facilities accounted for nearly all of the county’s deaths. But now, at 181 dead, those residents account for twothirds of the total county deaths. Still, 94% of those who have died in the county have been older than the age of 60; this is why the 65-and-older demographic has been heavily targeted by all vaccine providers statewide. In Santa Cruz County, 54.7% of those 65 and older have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.