The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 153 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, which increases the county’s total to 30,502 cases. Officials consider 836 cases as still infectious.
The health department also reported eight deaths where COVID-19 is listed as the cause of death or a significant condition, increasing the county’s total to 366 deaths.
All were at least 70 years of age. Four had underlying health conditions, and four of the deaths were associated with an outbreak at a congregate living facility.
Lompoc was home to four of the deceased; two lived in Santa Maria; one resided in Santa Barbara; and one was from the South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and the city of Carpinteria.
Santa Maria detected 40 new cases, which brings its total 10,372 cases. The city has 210 active cases.
Santa Barbara reported 35 cases Thursday. Its new total is 5,576 cases, and 167 are still infectious.
Lompoc confirmed 17 new cases and has a new total of 3,193 cases, of which 111 are currently infectious.
The following areas also reported new cases Thursday: the South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and the city of Carpinteria, 14 cases (1,225 total, 43 active); Orcutt, 14 cases (1,599 total, 44 active); Goleta, seven cases (1,587 total, 75 active); the Santa Ynez Valley, seven cases (887 total, 35 active); the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota, five cases (1,034 total, 27 active); Isla Vista, three cases (1,133 total, 41 active); the North County area containing Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and the city of Guadalupe, one case (1,185 total, 38 active).
The geographic locations of 10 daily cases are pending.
In county hospitals, 154 COVID-19 patients are being treated, and 38 of those are in critical care. Santa Barbara County has 23.4% of its staffed ICU beds available.
A total of 1,288 health care workers have contracted COVID-19.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office reported two new staff cases of COVID-19 and 13 new inmate cases. Of the 113 Sheriff’s employees that have contracted the virus, 102 have recovered and returned to work.
Two of the 13 inmates were positive upon intake, and one has since been released. The other 11 cases contracted the virus during an outbreak earlier this month.
A total of 46 inmates have active COVID-19 cases, and a total of 209 have contracted the virus.
Cottage Health issued an update on Thursday, announcing that it is caring for a total of 315 patients across all campuses. Some 208 are acute care patients, 13 of whom are on ventilators. In addition, 68 acute care patients are in isolation with COVID-19 symptoms and 61 are confirmed COVID-19 positive. Of the patients in isolation, nine are in critical care.
The adult critical care availability at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was 46.7% on Thursday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study Wednesday concluding that masks are most effective when fitted to the contours of the face or doubled up, a cloth mask over a medical mask.
In an experiment, a standard medical procedure mask blocked 42% of the particles from a simulated cough, and a cloth mask blocked 44.3%. The cloth mask layered over the procedure mask blocked 92.5% of particles.
The CDC also issued new quarantine guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.
Those who received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than two weeks ago but still within the last three months do not have to quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 — as long as they don’t have symptoms.
The county Public Health Department hosted a virtual town hall event on Thursday regarding the latest vaccination efforts. Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, director of the county Public Health Department, said that in the next few weeks the state will be asking Blue Shield of California to do the vaccine allocations to both the county Public Health Department, as well as local healthcare providers.
The county is continuing its efforts to vaccinate frontline health care workers and residents over the age of 75. Dr. Do-Reynoso said that the county will be moving to vaccinate those 65 and older “very quickly,” and that within the next several weeks those who are at-risk of exposure at work in the sectors of education, child care, emergency services, food, grocery and agriculture will receive vaccinations.
“Things are changing quickly,” she said. “I have heard about worries (about) when the public will be vaccinated. I want to reassure you that we are ready to vaccinate our public, our community members. The issue is a limited number of vaccines that we are getting from the state.”
Current data shows that the county has utilized 81% of the vaccines it has received, she added.
Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg fielded several questions regarding the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, including how long immunity lasts for recipients.
“Because this vaccine is so new … we do not know yet how long this immunity will last,” he said. “When we compare it to other vaccines and see how good the response is with the antibodies in the blood of people who got it a year ago, we anticipate that it lasts at least one year or hopefully three years, at which time we would need a booster shot.”
He explained that the two vaccines currently offered do not contain any virus, but a small piece of genetic code known as RNA. When it is injected into the human body, the vaccine gets the information to make antibodies against the virus.
“We do not get infected with any other virus when we get this particular vaccine,” he said.
There have been rare cases of people getting a severe allergic reaction from the vaccines, which Dr. Ansorg said is “easily treatable” and that those who do receive the vaccine are asked to remain at the distribution site for at least 15 minutes to avoid a severe reaction.
He later added that there are no known long-term effects from the vaccines.
Dr. Ansorg also shared that a single-shot vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the next 10 days.
There have been rare cases of people getting a severe allergic reaction from the vaccines, which Dr. Ansorg said is “easily treatable” and that those who do receive the vaccine are asked to remain at the distribution site for at least 15 minutes to avoid a severe reaction.
He later added that there are no known long-term effects from the vaccines.
Dr. Ansorg also shared that a single-shot vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the next 10 days.
For more information on the county’s vaccination rollout, visit www.publichealthsbc.org.
email: news@newspress.com
News-Press Associate Editor Mitchell White contributed to this report.
