The Town of Windsor will join other Sonoma County municipalities such as the City of Healdsburg in returning to Zoom to hold public meetings, as the omicron variant has caused COVID-19 cases to skyrocket since Christmas.
The announcement, included in the Jan. 6 issue of the Town of Windsor Insider, the town’s newsletter, stated the switch back to the virtual setting will apply to the Windsor Town Council and all commissions, and is intended to “ help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
“The latest variant, omicron, is much more contagious than earlier variants and is now the dominant strain in the U.S.,” the Insider entry reads.
Meetings for the Windsor Town Council, the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission will be affected. Meetings will be viewable live on Channel 27, AT&T U-verse Channel 99 and streamed online via the town’s webpage.
The newsletter notes that those wishing to provide public comment will have to participate in the Zoom calls, the links for which can be found on agendas, released three days prior to meetings.
According to data from SoCo Emergency referenced Jan. 7, the county’s omicron surge is showing higher case rates per 100,000 than this time last year, however, deaths and severe illnesses are substantially lower. This winter, in December, cases rates reached a high of 58.7 (Dec. 28, 2021) versus a high of 49.1 (Dec. 31, 2020) last winter; however, December 2021 saw only six reported COVID-related deaths, compared to 32 in December 2020.
As of Jan. 7, Windsor’s ZIP code, 95492, has the second highest rate of active cases per 100,000 residents in Sonoma County, with 335 active cases, accounting for 9% of active cases countywide. Windsor has had about 10,400 cases since the pandemic began, accounting for 6% of total cases in the county.
Community members should also be aware that omicron symptoms present differently than the classic COVID-19 symptoms of fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. While those infected with omicron may lose their sense of smell and taste, a different set of symptoms may make it harder to identify as COVID-19. These include nasal congestion, a runny nose and sore throat, according to a recent NPR report.
Upcoming meetings
• The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, to review and provide a recommendation to the town council on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment to establish regulations on short-term vacation rentals, such as Airbnbs.
• The Parks and Recreation Commission will receive a final presentation and recommendation from town staff regarding an off-leash dog area pilot program and Wilson Ranch Soccer Park.
• After canceling its Jan. 5 meeting, the Windsor Town Council will meet for the first time of the new year at 6 p.m. Jan. 19.
Agendas and past meetings can be found at here.
