[Editor’s note: Noozhawk’s weekly COVID-19 email newsletter is delivered to subscribers on Wednesdays. You can sign up here. We are republishing the newsletters on the website so more readers have access to them.]

Welcome to Noozhawk’s Weekly COVID-19 Briefing.

This newsletter is a way for Noozhawk readers to get important updates in one place.

It is emailed out every Wednesday, for free, to everyone who subscribes.

This week’s newsletter is a short one because Santa Barbara County metrics show a continued decline in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

Here’s What We Know 

» Santa Barbara County reported 180 new COVID-19 cases for the week ending Tuesday and 21 coronavirus-positive hospital patients.

» 669 coronavirus-related deaths of county residents have been reported to date. 

» Masks are no longer mandatory in K-12 schools, but some students choose to keep wearing them. Read staff writer Serena Guentz’s story here.

» The county Public Health Department is scaling back its mobile vaccination program, which has been sending teams of vaccinators to schools, community centers and other venues for the past year.

» COVID-19 vaccines remain available at pharmacies and health-care providers. Click here to search for a location near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/search/.

Vaccination Rates

The State of California and Santa Barbara County are reporting declines in new cases, hospitalizations and daily deaths from COVID-19.

More than 28 million people are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 throughout California, which represents 74.3% of the population age 5 and up, and another 9.4% of people are partially vaccinated.

As of this week, the county has slightly lower rates at 72.1% of 5+ residents being fully vaccinated and another 7.9% of residents being partially vaccinated. 

Watch the Latest County COVID-19 Briefing

The March 15 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting includes a COVID-19 briefing from Public Health Department director Van Do-Reynoso.

Click here to watch it on the county’s YouTube page.

Reader Resources

» Find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you on the Vaccine Finder search function of https://www.vaccines.gov/search/. You can search for providers by location and by specific vaccine available (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson). You can also find providers on the county website, publichealthsbc.org/vaccine, or at myturn.ca.gov. Some facilities offer walk-ups as well as appointments.

» Text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) for a list of vaccine providers in English, or text your ZIP code to VACUNA (822862) for a list in Spanish. 

» There are free COVID-19 testing facilities around the county.

» Find more local pandemic-related information on the Public Health Department website and the county’s COVID-19 recovery page, with resources for business reopening, rental assistance, food assistance and more.

» Click here for Noozhawk’s complete Coronavirus Crisis coverage.

Help Support Noozhawk Today

Our team has worked hard to build Noozhawk into the trusted local news platform it is today. We are a vital part of this community.

We’re excited about what we do, but we need your help to continue bringing you the thorough local news coverage you rely on.

Your paid membership in our Hawks Club ensures that we can continue to deliver the news you need and want, 24/7. Will you help us by making a financial commitment today?

Click here to make an online donation.

Thank you for your support.

P.S. — Contributions to Noozhawk are not tax-deductible. Checks can be mailed to Noozhawk, P.O. Box 101, Santa Barbara 93102. Please include your email address so we can contact you.

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.