Santa Barbara County reported 40 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday.
Of those, the highest number, nine, was in Santa Maria, according to the Public Health Department. Neighboring Orcutt had one case.
Elsewhere, seven cases were in Santa Barbara and unincorporated Mission Canyon.
Five cases were reported in unincorporated Goleta Valley and Gaviota.
Four cases were in Goleta.
One case was in Isla Vista.
One case was in the South Coast corridor, which includes Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria.
Santa Ynez Valley reported three cases.
Three cases were reported in Lompoc and nearby Mission Hills and Vandenberg Village.
The locations of six cases were pending.
Forty-one patients are recovering in county hospitals. Another 12 are recovering in intensive care units.
Santa Barbara County now has a total of 46,740 cases, of which 420 are still infectious. The total number of deaths remains at 556.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported that 68% of the eligible 5-and-older population is fully vaccinated.
Of the entire county population (all ages), 64% is fully vaccinated.
All numbers are provided by the health department.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionm said Wednesday that she expects to see more reports of the omicron variant. Labeled as a “variant of concern,” omicron has been found in at least 36 states.
She said early data shows omicron is more transmissible than the delta variant, and she urged eligible people to get their vaccines and booster shots.
email: dmason@newspress.com
