The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 64 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, increasing the county’s total to 31,630 cases. Officials consider 435 cases still infectious.
Public Health also recorded two deaths with COVID-19 listed as the cause or a significant condition. A total of 398 Santa Barbara County residents have died with the virus significantly contributing, officials said.
One of the deceased was at least 70 years of age, and the other was between 50 and 69 years. Both had underlying health conditions.
Santa Barbara was home to one of the deceased, and the other resided in an unincorporated area of Goleta.
The county’s adjusted case rate was 16.9 per 100,000 as of Tuesday, and its testing positivity rate was 6%. The lowered adjusted case rate allows schools TK through grade six, with approved safety plans, to return to in-person learning as early as today.
“COVID-19 is largely transmitted in the community and not in a TK-6 school setting. When everyone does their part to follow the safety guidelines and protocols, our children can return to school in a safe environment for themselves and for school staff,” Dr. Henning Ansorg, health officer for the county Public Health Department, said in a statement.
Santa Barbara County remains in the purple tier.
Santa Maria recorded the most cases Tuesday, at 24 cases. It has a total of 10,681 cases, and 146 cases are active.
Santa Barbara detected 12 cases, which brings its total to 5,850 cases, and 106 cases are still infectious.
Orcutt confirmed seven COVID-19 cases. Its new total is 1,661 cases, and 25 cases are active.
Both the city of Goleta and the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota counted five cases Tuesday. Goleta has a total of 1,635 cases of which 25 are active; the unincorporated area has a cumulative 1,089 cases of which 18 are active.
The following areas also reported daily cases: Lompoc, four cases (3,302 total, 33 active); Isla Vista, two cases (1,203 total, 21 active); and the Santa Ynez Valley, two cases (938 total, 18 active).
Hospitals across Santa Barbara County are treating 76 COVID-19 patients, and 17 of those patients are in critical care.
The county has 35.5% of its ICU beds available.
A cumulative 1,332 health care workers have contracted COVID-19.
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is caring for 30 patients with COVID-19 symptoms, and seven of those patients are in critical condition. It has 15.6% of ICU beds available.
Just four COVID-19 patients at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital are utilizing a ventilator, and 93 ventilators remain available.
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
