Seven new COVID-19 cases were reported in Santa Barbara County on Monday, but there were no additional virus-related fatalities.
The county’s cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 34,398, while the death toll remained at 450, according to the county Public Health Department’s online COVID-19 data dashboard.
For 17 days in a row as of Monday, the county had not reported any new COVID-19-related deaths.
However, county public health officials have mentioned reporting lags in data reporting.
The county reports a fatality after a death certificate is processed listing COVID-19 as a cause or a significant condition, according to Public Health.
The process can take several days and up to two months to finalize if pending verification by the county Coroner’s Bureau, a division of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized locally decreased slightly, to 15 on Monday from 16 the day before, according to the county Public Health Department.
Of those, four patients were being treated in intensive-care units, an increase from two on Sunday.
As of Monday, 67 people with COVID-19 were still considered infectious in the county.
Of the new cases reported Monday, two each are in the Santa Barbara area, the Lompoc Valley and Santa Maria.
The unincorporated areas of North County reported one new case.
The county’s daily testing positivity rate was 1.4%, according to the county.
New Guidelines for Wearing Masks
California plans to implement the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated mask guidelines to allow fully vaccinated people to go without a mask in most indoor settings beginning June 15, state officials said Monday.
The CDC announced new mask guidelines last week, saying that fully vaccinated people “no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidelines.”
In a statement, California’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, said that “this four-week period (until June 15) will give Californians time to prepare for this change while we continue our relentless focus on delivering vaccines, particularly in underserved communities.
“We urge all Californians to get vaccinated to ensure that infection and hospitalization rates remain low across the state, and that we can all return to the activities we love. Until June 15, when California plans to fully reopen the economy, California will keep our existing guidance around masks in place.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the tiered reopening system could end on June 15.
As of May 3, face coverings are “no longer required outdoors except at crowded events, and for unvaccinated people, when physical distancing cannot be maintained,” according to Ghaly. “In indoor settings outside of one’s home, including public transportation and schools, face coverings continue to be required regardless of vaccination status.”
People are considered fully vaccinated at least two weeks after their second COVID-19 shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or at least two weeks after their single-shot Johnson & Johnson, according to the CDC.
Santa Barbara County is in the “moderate” orange tier under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy restriction levels.
The state Department of Public Health releases updated tier assignments for California counties each Tuesday.
At Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors virtual meeting, public health officials are expected to present the region’s response and detail the county’s business activity.
The meeting can be streamed live on the county’s YouTube channel, online, or CSBTV Channel 20.
In-person meetings are closed to the public in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, but public comment can be made over the phone during the meeting or by email before the meeting.
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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.
