Santa Clara County officials cracked down on businesses during the Thanksgiving holiday, issuing at least 75 fines on establishments that violated local health orders.
Authorities issued over 75 fines to local businesses on Friday after many failed to submit revised coronavirus restrictions, including social distancing. The businesses would have 30 days to pay the fine.
The fine came after county officials recorded 512 new COVID-19 cases the day before Thanksgiving, bringing the Santa Clara County’s total to 32,985 cases.
Authorities also recorded 222 additional hospitalizations. Sixty-eight patients were placed in the Intensive Care Unit. Hospital records also showed that 193 of the county’s 624 ventilators were in use.
“We are really, really concerned. All of the metrics that we have been following that have done well in previous months have gone up very steeply,” COVID-19 Testing Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said.
Santa Clara County officials said they plan to offer appointment-only coronavirus testing in Los Gatos, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Palo Alto in the coming weeks. Health officials would also offer county residents flu shots, NBC News reported.
People may get tested at walk-in coronavirus testing sites in San Jose and Gilroy. Residents hoping to get a flu shot are urged to visit the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose.
Fenstersheib said people who do not display coronavirus-related symptoms should still get tested to curb the spread of the disease.
“New studies have shown that a majority of transmissions are caused by people who are asymptomatic and likely don’t know that they are potentially spreading the disease to family, co-workers and anyone they come in contact with,” Fenstersheib said. “They need to know they have the virus so they can isolate and break the transmission chain, even if they don’t feel sick.”
