Local COVID-19 numbers show increasing case levels, with 382 active cases reported Monday, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
That’s 20% more than the previous two-week average.
The county reported 176 new cases in the last three-day period, including 31 reported Monday, 63 on Sunday, and 82 on Saturday.
As of Monday, county hospitals reported 10 COVID-19-positive patients, two of whom are currently being treated in intensive care units. One of those people is on a ventilator, according to Public Health.
Three COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the previous two weeks, including two reported last Thursday.
As of last week, Santa Barbara County reported a test positivity rate of 2.8%, which means 2.8% of novel coronavirus test results came back positive.
Some California public health officials have attributed higher transmission rates to the lifting of the indoor mask mandates in February.
Recently, mandates were eliminated for most public transportation facilities, including the Santa Barbara Airport, Amtrak trains and Metropolitan Transit District buses.
Public Health officials continue to recommend wearing masks in crowded, indoor environments, including transportation facilities, to reduce the risk of being infected with COVID-19.
The majority of Santa Barbara County COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been among people who were unvaccinated for COVID-19, Public Health officials said in February.
As of this week, the county reports that 68.6% of residents are fully vaccinated.
More information about COVID-19 vaccines, including pediatric doses and booster shots, is available on the Public Health website here.
If you would like to learn more details about COVID cases in Santa Barbara County, visit the community data dashboard online here.
— Lauren Luna is a Noozhawk contributing writer. Contact her at news@noozhawk.com.
