10 Santa Cruz Co. Residents Die Of COVID: 'Sobering Information'

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Ten Santa Cruz County residents died of COVID-19 between Jan. 16 and Feb. 10, local health officials said on Monday.

The deaths were recorded at the height of the omicron surge and were among nine vaccinated people, of which five had received a booster. One unvaccinated person in his 50s was recorded among the deaths, according the the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency.

"This is sobering information and a reminder that the pandemic still holds significant risks to many," said Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County Health Officer.

Of the 10 who died, five were men and five were women and all had significant underlying conditions, officials said. One person was in his early 100s, three were in their 90s, two were in their 80s and three were in their 70s.

Although 10 deaths seems like a high number for that measure of time, it did not surpass the one week record of 22 COVID-related deaths recorded on Jan. 1, 2021.

"The recent omicron surge had three times the daily case rates compared to the first winter surge," officials wrote in a statement.

Deaths are reportedly 30 times more likely in unvaccinated people than in those vaccinated and boosted, the county said.

The news comes as the California winter omicron surge continues to fade into the background, with cases dropping by more than 75 percent since mid-January, California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly said on Monday.

The state's positivity rate was 6.2 percent on Monday, down from 8.8 percent one week ago, according to state data. The state's positivity rate was 22.9 percent on Jan. 14.

On Monday, there were 8,189 people hospitalized with COVID-19, compared with 10,412 on Feb. 8.

The state and county also dropped its indoor mask requirement this week.

READ MORE: CA Indoor Mask Mandate Ends: 5 Things To Know

But schoolchildren in Santa Cruz County and across the state will have to keep wearing masks indoors for now, despite backlash from some parents and elected officials.

Ghaly said the state will reassess state case rates, test positivity rate, hospitalizations, pediatric hospitalizations and vaccination rates to decide when the state will lift its mandate for schoolchildren. That reassessment is slated for Feb. 28.

"We anticipate making the change at that point," Ghaly said.

READ MORE: CA Mask Mandates Stays In Schools: 5 Things To Know