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COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County has reached record levels, making it even more imperative that residents stay home during the New Year’s holidays.
As of Wednesday, the adjusted case rate is 30.8 cases per 100,000 residents; the positivity rate, or the number of confirmed positive COVID-19 tests in the county divided by all tests administered overall, is 9.1%.
“This means that COVID-19 is actively spreading in our county. It is not safe to meet with people outside your household, ”said Van Do-Reynoso, director of the public health department. “Not only are gatherings dangerous, but we risk losing the extremely limited hospital beds we have left and exhausting the health workers who have tirelessly cared for our community.
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The county, which is part of the Southern California region, recently had its stay-at-home order extended because the area’s intensive care unit (ICU) capacity is zero percent. This does not mean that there are no intensive care beds available, as the state uses a formula to allow non-COVID patients to have a bed. However, many hospital resources are exhausted.
On the bright side, more COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Santa Barbara County this week. To date, 17,575 vaccines have been delivered to hospitals, health centers and the Department of Public Health; 8,775 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and 8,800 Moderna vaccines were received.
“As we move forward with the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, we are getting closer and closer to ending this pandemic,” said Dr Henning Ansorg, head of public health. “We are in a very difficult next week. Sadly, we can’t stop what’s to come in the immediate future, but we can impact the longer-term trajectory of the spread of this virus. Stay at home, wear a mask if you need to leave for essential tasks, isolate yourself immediately if you are sick, and do not meet with people outside your home.
Every day, the staff of the Independent from Santa Barbara works hard to separate the truth from the rumor and keep you informed of what is happening throughout the community of Santa Barbara. There is now a way to directly activate these efforts. Support it Independent by making a direct contribution or with a subscription to Indy +.
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