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The number of COVID-19 infections in Santa Barbara County has jumped 62% and intensive care unit hospitalizations have climbed 86% in the past seven days, according to the county’s public health department.
The situation is a worrying reminder of the devastating power of the virus, which crippled the economy for more than a year. While the availability of vaccines has brought a lot of hope and promise to bring the virus under control, the increase in the number of cases is a reminder that the situation remains fragile and fluid.
Public health also reported another death on Friday – a resident of Santa Maria aged 18 to 29.
Since the start of the pandemic, 461 people have died in Santa Barbara County.
Overall, hospital admissions have doubled in the past seven days compared to the previous seven days. 28 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday.
Of the 67 cases reported Friday, most of the cases – 14 – were in Santa Barbara and Mission Canyon. 14 cases were also reported in Goleta, Goleta Valley and Gaviota. Lompoc has reported nine cases and Santa Maria has reported eight. The Santa Ynez Valley has seen seven cases.
About 29 of the cases involved people aged 18 to 29. Nine people under the age of 17 contracted the virus.
Although the number of COVID-19 fell after the vaccines were introduced on Friday, only about 51% of residents of Santa Barbara County had been fully vaccinated. The Delta variant, which is a more contagious form of the virus, has also spread rapidly in recent weeks.
With Governor Gavin Newsom reopening the economy on June 15 and the lifting of mask rules, life’s return to normal has come up against recent COVID -19 numbers.
Schools are set to return fully in person – with no distance learning option – in a month, but those plans could change if Governor Newsom reinstates previous rules or if the mood of teachers, parents and staff changes. Neither the Santa Barbara Unified School District nor the Goleta Union School District have a mandatory vaccination policy for staff, employees, or students of age, but masked students are expected to return to a month.
Although both districts returned to school in person last April, they have also offered a distance learning option, which they both plan to cut when school starts on August 17.
The Santa Barbara District posted a message with vague details via Parent Square on Friday, stating that it would offer an independent study program for “medically compromised” students at all levels, not through their own. residency school, however.
– Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at . (JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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