The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 56 daily cases of COVID-19 on Monday, making a county total of 4,140. Of that total, 3,780 have recovered, 329 are active, and 31 have died. Of the 329 active cases, 328 are community cases, with only one in Lompoc’s federal prison.
Of all the county’s geographic regions, the city of Santa Maria remains a hotspot for the coronavirus with slightly over half of Santa Barbara County’s active cases, 167 total. The city of Santa Barbara was the area with the second most active cases, 52.
According to the public health department’s website, 76 of the active community cases are currently recovering in the hospital, and 25 are recovering in the ICU.
A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s service technician recently tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently isolating and recovering at home after testing positive for the virus. According to a press release, the technician began experiencing COVID-19- related symptoms while at work on July 9, and was sent home and tested later that day. She was confirmed as COVID-19 positive on Saturday.
She didn’t have any contact with inmates and contact tracing determined that she lives with relatives who recently tested positive for the virus, so her infection doesn’t appear to be job-related. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has had 31 of its members test positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. 21 of them have fully recovered and returned to work.