The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the county’s total to 228.
The county ranks 15th in the state, nine cases behind San Joaquin County. After the first week of tracking cases, Santa Barbara County was well behind San Luis Obispo County, but now has 126 more cases than the neighbors to the north.
Across the state, there are now 19,063 confirmed cases, with 507 total deaths.
Los Angeles County leads the state with 7,573 cases, hitting 200 deaths on Wednesday.
There are now five additional counties with more than 1,000 confirmed cases, including San Diego, Santa Clara, Riverside and Orange.
Across the United States there are now 432,132 cases, leaping past the 400,000 mark on Wednesday.
Spain, Italy and Germany are the only other countries in six-figure cases.
The worldwide figure sits at 1,484,811 cases, with 88,538 deaths and 329,876 having fully recovered.
Cottage Health, by the numbers
An updated look at where Cottage Health stands:
- Cottage is caring for 135 patients; 238 beds remain available.
- Of the 135 patients, 13 patients are on ventilators; 47 ventilators remain available (adult, pediatric and neonatal ventilators).
- Of the 135 patients, 14 patients are in isolation with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
- Of the 14 patients in isolation, 7 patients are in critical care.
- Cottage has collected 1,428 cumulative test samples: 111 resulted in positive, 1,219 resulted in negative, and 98 are pending
LVMC updates
An updated look at the status of the Lompoc Valley Medical Center:
- LVMC presently has 13 COVID-19 related inpatients, including 10 confirmed positive and 3 pending test results. Only one of the 13 (one that is pending results) is from the general Lompoc community. The other 12 are inmates from Federal Corrections.
- When a patient at LVMC requires tertiary level care, he/she is typically transferred to Cottage Hospital. There are four additional inmates from FCI being treated at Cottage Hospital.
- FCI publicly reports the number of COVID-19 positive inmates and staff. Their last update reports 29 inmates and 6 staff having tested positive. The majority of those who have tested positive do not require hospitalization. There have been no COVID-19 related deaths among FCI inmates or staff.
- Of the 201 COVID-19 tests that have been initiated through LVMC, at both the hospital and Lompoc Health clinics, there are been 30 positive, 138 negative and 33 pending.
Goleta City Council approves numerous COVID-19 measures
In its lengthy meeting on Tuesday night, the Goleta City Council approved a number of measures to help protect residents and businesses, including:
- “Increasing penalties for violations of the City’s moratorium on evictions. The City passed a resolution prohibiting commercial and residential evictions due to COVID-19 on March 17 and on March 27 the Governor issued a similar order. The City order will impose a higher financial cost to disregarding the City’s orders to deter landlords from evicting a tenant who cannot pay rent due to loss of income due to COVID-19. The first violation would be subject to a $5,000 fine, second violation within one year of the first violation would be subject to a $7,500 fine, and subsequent violation within one year of the first violation would be subject to a $10,000 fine.”
- “The City Council also approved issuing administrative citations or prosecution of a misdemeanor for violations of the city’s orders issued during a declared local emergency. The city’s current emergency order, which was ratified on March 17, required the immediate closure of restaurants and bars, with the exception of take-out orders, the closure of gyms, bowling alleys, movie theatres and arcades. The order also prohibited the use of play structures and fitness equipment. The standard penalties would apply including $100 per occurrence for the first violation, $200 per occurrence for the second violation, and $500 for each subsequent violation. If a misdemeanor is pursued it would be punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or by imprisonment not to exceed six months.”
- “The city also passed a measure to help provide some relief to the city’s hotel industry which is experiencing a sharp decline in business with low occupancy rates. The City Council agreed to allow hotels, motels and short-term vacation rental operators within its jurisdiction, upon written request, to defer payment of the transient occupancy tax (TOT) for two months. The City Council granted the first deferral of payment of the TOT for the months of March and April 2020 and required payment to be made by June 30, 2020. The city manager is authorized to grant subsequent deferrals at two month increments if the local emergency is still in place.”
Three Santa Maria firefighters being tested
According to a news release for the city of Santa Maria, three city firefighters and an additional recruit were “tested out of precaution.”
All have been sent home to self-quarantine until results are available, which is estimated to be today.
We continue to practice social distancing, adhere to screening protocols that our dispatchers are performing, limiting the number of firefighters rendering medical assistance, and wearing all personal protective equipment,” said Chief Leonard Champion said.
email: nmasuda@newspress.com
