The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported a 10% increase in the weekly average of COVID-19 cases in the county, according to the Community Data Dashboard.
Public Health officials noted that the number of positive cases is an undercount since results of at-home rapid antigen tests are often not reported to the county.
Between Friday, July 1 and Wednesday, July 6, a total of 596 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, and four COVID-19-related deaths have been reported over the last week.
The county’s new data dashboard, which uses data from the California Department of Public Health, has less localized information and does not indicate age or community for people who have tested positive or died from COVID-19.
As of Friday, 45 COVID-19-positive individuals were hospitalized throughout the county, with nine of these patients being treated in intensive-care units. This is the highest level since March.
The number includes people who were hospitalized for COVID-19-related reasons, and people who tested positive for COVID-19 but were hospitalized for unrelated reasons.
Public Health officials are also reporting a 0.6% increase in test positivity compared to the previous week, with a current test positivity rate of 15.3%. That means 15.3% of all reported COVID-19 test results are positive.
According to the California Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 data on the county’s dashboard, a total of 96,266 COVID-19 cases and 697 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Santa Barbara County since the pandemic began in early 2020.
County Public Health officials summarized the past week's virus-related activity as follows:
"There continues to be a high level of virus transmission in the community. BA.4 and BA.5 are now the dominant strains in the southern West Coast (including California) and the Nation.
"Over the last 7 days, the test positivity has increased by 0.6% and the weekly average of reported PCR confirmed cases has increased by 10%. This is an underreporting of cases in Santa Barbara County given increased rapid antigen home testing that is often not reported to the Public Health Department.
"Meanwhile, COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been increasing, and ICU admissions have begun to rise."
Public Health officials also said:
"If you were exposed to COVID-19 or exhibiting symptoms, get tested to see if you are eligible for antiviral treatment available across the county.
"The Public Health Department strongly recommends wearing a highly protective mask (KN95 or 95) in public indoor settings.
"COVID-19 vaccinations are now recommended for all aged 6 months and older (https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccines-for-kids-under-5/). Parents should check in with their children’s pediatrician about vaccine availability."
The Santa Maria Fairpark free COVID-19 testing facility will be temporarily closed for a week and then relocated for a week before returning on July 23, according to the county. Get more information on that testing site here.
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.