Officials at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department detected 49 COVID-19 cases Monday, the lowest daily case number since Dec. 1. (Just 16 cases were recorded Dec. 19, but the seven-day average indicated the low number was not characteristic of the case rates.)
A cumulative 31,567 cases have been reported in the county, and 450 cases are still infectious.
Officials also confirmed two deaths Monday in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause or a significant condition. A total of 396 Santa Barbara County residents’ deaths have been reported as such.
Both individuals were at least 70 years of age, and one death is linked to an outbreak at a congregate care facility.
One resided within Goleta’s city limits, and the other lived in the unincorporated area with a Goleta address.
Santa Maria counted 20 of Monday’s cases. It has a total of 10,658 cases, and 141 are active.
Santa Barbara detected eight cases, increasing its total to 5,843 cases. Public Health deems 115 cases still infectious.
Lompoc confirmed five cases. Its new total is 3,298 cases, and 35 cases are active.
The Santa Ynez Valley and Orcutt both recorded four cases Monday. The valley has a total of 935 COVID-19 cases, of which 23 are active. Orcutt has 1,653 total cases, and 22 cases are still infectious.
The following areas also reported COVID-19 cases Monday: the South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria, two cases (1,266 total, 18 active); the North County area containing Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and Guadalupe, two cases (1,211 total, 10 active); Isla Vista, one case (1,196 total, 22 active); the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota, one case (1,076 total, 15 active).
The geographic locations of two daily cases are pending.
Santa Barbara County hospitals are treating 82 COVID-19-positive patients, and 17 of those patients are in critical care. And 36.8% of the county’s staffed ICU beds are available.
A total of 1,329 health care workers have contracted the virus.
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
