The Specialty’s chain of bakery/restaurants just announced they are permanently closing all locations due to the impacts of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Are we prepared to see hundreds more Santa Clara County businesses follow? Dr. Sara Cody wants to be certain that the loosened restrictions don’t cause a resurgence in cases before taking further steps to open more businesses and sectors.

There is no guarantee we will have any working COVID-19 vaccine in the future. Clinical trials take time. If you drive on any local freeway or expressway, it is apparent many more people are driving compared with two months ago. Government restrictions on non-essential travel seem to be more and more ignored.

More COVID-19 cases are inevitable, whether or not Dr. Cody lifts restrictions. The only things that will go away in upcoming months are more businesses and jobs... unless there is open debate and action.

I would like to know more about SCC deaths. Colorado has just changed the way the State records deaths. They count deaths due to Covid and deaths where the deceased had Covid but the death was due to another cause. Web Link Can we please have the same reporting on SCC deaths?

Just a note that the staff author says "The pace in which counties can reopen businesses and services is largely dictated by the state of California, which has its own mandatory shelter order that supersedes individual county agencies."

It is actually that the STRICTEST regulations supersede at any level of government. So if the County is more strict (as it it is in this case), the County regulations should be followed. Some cities have also passed local ordinances that are even more restrictive (mandatory masks, etc.), and those would need to be the ones followed locally.

What about office buildings? Will they have good air filtration/circulation and spacing? How about elevators?
Not every task can be accomplished remotely.

It would be awesome if SC County could allow at least some kinds of open air markets and a better way to distribute masks and information about testing and transmission. Also, couldn't our local billionaires contribute more funding for testing supplies, etc.? Seems like we have no one besides Stanford, Google and the County for the big stuff...