New COVID-19 outbreak infects 26 county jail inmates
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department reported a new outbreak at the Main Jail Wednesday. A total of 26 out of the facility’s 60 inmates tested positive for COVID-19.
Several inmates in the male basement dormitory told staff they were experiencing COVID-19 symptoms Tuesday, so the department tested two housing units.
The Sheriff’s Department will be monitoring the inmates who tested negative for COVID-19 and performing surveillance testing over the next 14 days. Those who tested positive are now housed separately and are receiving medical treatment.
Staff hopes contract tracing will identify the source and check any employees that may have been exposed. The departments’ staff members wear N95 masks, undergo surveillance testing and take other universal precautions.
For the second consecutive day, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department has reported a staff member has contracted COVID-19. The infected employee was tested Jan. 27 and last worked Jan. 19. The department was notified Jan. 30 and informed the public Wednesday.
The probation department conducted contract tracing and sent staff members to be tested. The employee did not interact with any youth.
The department will update a COVID-19 chart on its website, sbprobation.org, in a document located in Media Resources.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed 13 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday. Of the deceased, 12 were at least 70 years of age and one was between 30 and 49 years old.
Outbreaks at congregate care facilities were associated with seven deaths, and 11 of the deceased had underlying health conditions.
Santa Barbara lost seven residents; four resided in Santa Maria; one lived in Lompoc, and one was from the Goleta Valley. A total of 316 COVID-19 deaths have occurred countywide.
Officials also detected 187 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, increasing its total count to 29,191 cases. Officials deem 1,231 cases still infectious.
Santa Barbara reported 46 cases and has a new total of 5,323 cases. Of those, 271 are active.
Santa Maria confirmed 44 cases Wednesday. It has a total of 10,024 cases of which 354 are still infectious.
Lompoc detected 39 cases, which brings its total to 3,031 cases. Public Health considers 130 cases in Lompoc active.
The following areas also reported daily cases Wednesday: the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota, 15 new cases (990 total, 57 active); Goleta, 11 cases (1,496 total, 62 active); the South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and the city of Carpinteria, seven cases (1,142 total, 79 active); Isla Vista, seven cases (1,019 total, 77 active); Orcutt, six cases (1,527 total, 52 active); the Santa Ynez Valley, three cases (844 total, 29 active); the North County area containing Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and the city of Guadalupe, three cases (1118 total, 36 active).
The geographic locations of six of Wednesday’s cases are pending.
A total of 167 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, and 47 of those are in critical care. Of the county’s staffed ICU beds, 15.8% are available.
A total of 1,255 health care workers have contracted the virus.
Cottage Health issued an update on Wednesday and announced that residents over the age of 75 can sign up at cottagehealth.org/covid-19 to receive notifications when vaccine is available at a Cottage Health Community Drive-Up COVID Vaccine Clinic in Goleta.
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
