The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department on Thursday reported a positive milestone for confirmed COVID-19 patients in intensive-care units.
There were 37 COVID-19 patients being treated in local hospitals as of Thursday. Of those, 11 were in intensive-care units, the lowest number since June.
June 9 was the last time the county had 11 people hospitalized in ICUs.
In the most recent three-day period, the county reported 13 people in ICUs on Wednesday, 17 on Tuesday and 14 on Monday. One month ago — on Aug. 10 — there were 31 people in ICUs around the county.
The Public Health Department reported COVID-19-related deaths of four residents Thursday and 30 new positive cases in the county.
To date, the county has recorded a total of 8,579 cases, with 103 deaths, including three at the Lompoc federal prison complex.
Two of the deaths reported Thursday were residents in the Santa Ynez Valley, which includes the cities of Solvang and Buellton, and the communities of Santa Ynez, Los Alamos, Los Olivos and Ballard. County officials group some areas in its daily COVID-19 local reports.
Both people were in the 50-69 age group, and both had underlying medical conditions, according to the Public Health Department.
Two other fatalities were Santa Maria residents — a person between ages 50 and 69, and a person older than age 70. Both also had underlying medical conditions.
None was a resident of a congregate-living facility in the county. No additional details were provided about the four people.
Of the new cases, six were in Isla Vista, five were in Santa Maria, four were in Santa Barbara, and three each were in the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc.
Goleta and Orcutt each added two cases, while one each were reported in the North County unincorporated areas and in the unincorporated Goleta Valley.
Geographic locations were pending on three cases.
There were 911 COVID-19 tests conducted in the county on Thursday.
Of the county’s total COVID-19 cases reported, more than 7,250 people have fully recovered.
To date, 421 health care workers in the county have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the county’s available data.
Additionally, three additional Main Jail inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, for a total of 84 as of Thursday.
“The three inmates were tested as part of contact tracing from an outbreak that was discovered two weeks ago, and had been quarantined since that time,” said Raquel Zick, a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. “All three are being monitored by custody and medical staff regularly.”
Zick said 29 Main Jail inmates recovered from COVID-19, while 42 were “active cases medically monitored/treated.”
Twelve Main Jail inmates were released from custody and one died, according to Zick.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
Difference from previous day
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Sept. 10
Total positive cases 8,579 + 30 COVID-19-related deaths 103 + 4 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals 37 -2 COVID-19 ICU patients 11 – 2 Total test results 130,494 + 991 New cases reported Sept. 10 Active cases by area Total reported cases by area Deaths reported by area South County: Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria 0 4 185 7 Santa Barbara and Mission Canyon 4 24 1,148 12 Goleta 2 8 231 4 Isla Vista 6 14 178 1 Western Goleta Valley and Gaviota 1 7 182 1 Santa Ynez Valley 3 9 131 4 Lompoc, Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills 3 24 750 8 Lompoc federal correctional complex 0 1 1,024 3 Santa Maria 5 63 3,708 55 Orcutt 2 10 287 3 North County: Guadalupe, Cuyama, New Cuyama, Garey, Casmalia, Sisquoc 1 6 368 5 Pending location 3 32 387 0 Santa Barbara County total 30 202 8,579 103