| Jan. 17 | 1-year-old girl was brought out of a Santa Cruz home, unharmed, following an hours-long standoff. Brian Sellen, the girl's father, was accused of taking the child. |
| Feb 14 | Wildcat labor strike of graduate-student workers against University of California at Santa Cruz resulted in the arrest of 17 students for blocking the entrance to UCSC (unlawful assembly) and refusing to disperse. Striking against a contract agreement ratified in 2019 with the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2865 and in force through 2022. The strike was not sanctioned by the Union. |
| Mar. 3 | Councilmen Drew Glover and Chris Krohn were recalled in special election. The first recall in Santa Cruz history. |
| Mar. 6 | First case of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County. |
| Mar. 16 | Most schools close in Santa Cruz County due to risk of COVID 19, Order is later extended. Schools try on-line classrooms. |
| Mar.17 |
Effective at 12:01 AM, Shelter In Place ordered in Santa Cruz County. A distance of 6 feet between people is suggested. Masks must cover mouth and nose. ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE COUNTY TO SHELTER AT THEIR PLACE OF RESIDENCE EXCEPT THEY MAY LEAVE TO PROVIDE OR RECEIVE CERTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICES OR ENGAGE IN CERTAIN ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND WORK FOR ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES; (Planned to end April 17.) |
| March |
Products are bought in large amounts, along with hand sanitizer, and face masks. This caused a shortage. Several food items become scarce. (Instant coffee, rice, powdered milk, frozen vegetables, canned tuna, canned chili, etc.) People are preparing for shelter in place. The state of California discovers the emergency supplies (such as face masks and gloves) were not replaced from prior emergencies, and some items expired in inventory. Barber shops, nail salons, massage parlors, bars and Theaters must close. Grocery store and drug stores can stay open. People line up to get in (social distance in effect.) Stores set a limit to the number of people who can be in a store at one time. Restaurants can do "to go" orders. |
| Mar. 19 |
The county closed all the golf courses due to COVID-19. The restaurant and pub, 99 Bottles closes for good. The restaurant and pub had about 30 employees. It was founded in 1992. Mia Bossie and her husband David Bossie took over the restaurant in July 2012. Reason given was the loss of business due to COVID-19. |
| Mar. 29 | First death in Santa Cruz County due to COVID-19. |
| Apr. 17 | Shelter in Place reinstated, County requests masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves in new condition in sealed boxes to be collected at Emeline complex. |
| Apr, 20 | Protest demanding the City and County of Santa Cruz give hotel vouchers to homeless during COVID-19 Pandemic. Homeless people and supporters protest after Governor Gavin Newsom's April 18 statement that cities are blocking the State's effort to provide hotels for the homeless. |
| Jun. 3 | Black Lives Matter protest downtown. Several store windows broken. After the protest the police station was vandalized. |
| Jun. 6 | Santa Cruz Sheriff Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller shot and killed during altercation in Ben Lomond. Accused slayer Steven Carrillo is arrested. |
| Jun. 17 | Funeral for Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller at Cabrillo College stadium. Safe distance rules in place due to COVID-19. |
| Jun. 24 | Santa Cruz County fair officially cancels its 2020 season. They have plans for on-line Junior Livestock Competition. |
| Jun. 26 | Effective at 1 minute after midnight, the beaches in Santa Cruz are considered "open." The beaches were closed to picnics and sunbathing in line with "Keep it moving" beach policy to prevent gathering in crowds. |
| .Jul. 3 | High tide in Monterey Bay. At Santa Cruz it reaches 6.55 feet. |
| Jul. 4 | Fireworks and parades canceled due to fire danger and COVID-19 concerns with crowds. |
| Jul. 5 | Odwalla, Juice Brand shuts down after 40 years. (Started in Santa Cruz County in 1980.) |
| Jul. 9 | Santa Cruz County Sheriff Office arrest Albaro Montalvo Amaral, of San Jose, for suspected involvement in the fatal shooting of Kevin Medina-Lopez in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In September 2020 trial is later scheduled for February 2021. |
| Jul. 11 | Indigenous Surf Club organized a paddle out for Tamario Smith. Smith, a 21-year-old, died in custody at the Santa Cruz County Jail on May 10. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said Smith died of acute water toxemia. |
| Jul. 17 | Protest at Washington Park in Watsonville. Asking that the bust of George Washington be removed as a racist image. |
| Aug. 16 | 2020 Forest Fire starts from lightning strikes. Several areas of the state affected. In Marin County and Santa Cruz County |
| Aug. 17-19 | Evacuation of Boulder Creek and points north is ordered. Brookdale, Ben Lomond, and later Felton are included for evacuation. Scotts Valley is alerted for voluntary evacuation. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds used for main evacuation center. Sheriff office reports not everyone is willing to leave. Some have resisted leaving and formed small fire teams to put out spot fires. |
| Aug. 20 | Santa Cruz County asks for donations of hand sanitizer, new sleeping bags, new pillows, and new blankets for the evacuees gathering at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Donations are collected at the Emeline Complex. |
| Aug. 24 | News reports that over a dozen have been arrested for looting in the evacuated areas in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some seen and called-in to sheriff by residents who refused to leave. A commander of a fire unit had his wallet stolen from his emergency vehicle, while he was fighting the fire. His bank account was emptied and there were added charges to his credit cards. Later a funding page was started in his name. He received none of the funds. That too was a scam. |
| Sep. 8 | Santa Cruz moved to Red zone. (One tier lower on the COVID-19 risk.) County allows limited indoor business. |
| Sep. 14 |
County eases COVID-19 restrictions. Golf courses reopened. Out of 2,043 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, 1,797 have recovered, 7 have died, the rest are active. While many were trying to cope with the smoke and loss of home, the Black Lives Matter Mural in Downtown Santa Cruz went as scheduled with many ready to help paint parts of it. |
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Sep. 16 |
Watsonville High School history and economics teacher Abel Mejia died. This was 11 days after his brother Ruben Mejia, a biology teacher, died on Sept. 5. Their deaths came after counselor Federico Castañeda, died on July 1. They were all Watsonville High School alumni working at Watsonville High School. |
| Sep. 22 | California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention announce the CZU fire is contained as of 8pm. 135 square miles burned. Over 1,400 homes destroyed or damaged. One fatality, Tad Jones died trying to escape the fires. |
| Sep. 28 | CalFire puts out a recently started 1 acre fire Near Empire Grade north of the entrance to UCSC, |
| Oct. 8 | 20th death from COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County. |
| Oct. 10 | Premiere of Dana Bagshaw's Yellow Ribbons. A local play on politics in 1896 Santa Cruz, California. Due to social distancing and concerns of COVID-19 the premiere was on ZOOM, an online conference platform. |
| Oct. 18 | Residential house fire in Boulder Creek. 76-year-old Wyman Meigs, was unable to escape, and died in the fire. Confined to the one home, most of the structure burned. |
| Oct, 22 | Police report Gault School missing thousands of dollars’ worth of technology due to a burglary. |
| Oct. 25 | PG&E alert that many in the Santa Cruz Mountains will be without power starting 10pm Sunday 25, through Tuesday 27 due to expected high winds. |
| Nov. 4 | News of the election with Biden in the lead had protesters dancing on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. |
| Nov. 15 | King tide. 6.5 feet at Santa Cruz. |
| Nov. 16 | King tide. 6.5 feet at Santa Cruz. |
| Dec. 6-7 | Huge waves push into Santa Cruz. Several rescues by fire department and lifeguards performed along the coast. |
| Dec. 15 | First COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Santa Cruz County. Total dead from COVID-19 is 60. |
| Dec. 24 | Apartment complex fire on Cliford Avenue, in Watsonville, displaced 20 people and severely damaged four adjoining units. |
