Dear Neighbors,
Thank you everyone for your patience as we continue to navigate limited vaccine supply.
“The lack of sufficient supply from the State has been frustrating for everyone, particularly those who are eligible for the vaccine, and want to be vaccinated, but have been unable to sign up,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, Testing and Vaccine Officer for the County of Santa Clara.
“We have had to use almost all of the vaccine we receive for second doses, and have continued to provide access for our hardest hit communities to the greatest extent possible given ongoing shortages.”
Additionally, a second case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351, also known as the South African variant, has been detected in Santa Clara County.
“There is still a lot we are learning, but we do know some very key things about COVID-19 and how to protect ourselves,” said Dr. George Han, Deputy Health Officer for the County of Santa Clara.
“Even with these variants circulating in our community, the best tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones remain familiar to us and are available now. Wear your masks, keep your distance from others, avoid gatherings, especially indoors, and get vaccinated when it's your turn.”
As the country races to vaccinate as many people as possible, public health officials say we must act now to slow the spread of the virus and keep it at bay. This means relying on prevention measures that have already proven highly effective.
Travel is strongly discouraged. When you travel, you spend more time outside your home and come into contact with people outside your household. You are near new people in airports, train stations, gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, short-term rentals, sightseeing attractions, and retail stores.
These new people may be exposing you to COVID-19, or you may be unknowingly exposing them. People arriving in Santa Clara County from other counties, states or countries could also introduce new sources of infection (potentially including new strains of the coronavirus) to our community. This contributes to community spread of the disease, which leads to more illness and death.
Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The County continues to urge community members to wear a mask, keep their distance, and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.
Together in health,
County of Santa Clara
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