The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported an additional 242 confirmed COVID-19 cases to the state Department of Public Health on Saturday, bringing the county’s total number of confirmed cases to 5,001.
During Friday’s press conference, Dr. Van Do-Reynoso addressed a recent discrepancy between the county’s COVID-19 numbers and the state data, and said the county is still working to figure out the state’s methodology in reporting numbers.
“Personally, I have been in conversations with my team with CDPH for the past three weeks,” she said. “We’ve asked the state, help us understand your methodology. Give us the sources of your information. And we went as far as asking, give us the (Statistical Analysis System) coding so that when we run the numbers we match. And unfortunately the state has not shared their coding, their methodology with us. What we know is the data source, we don’t know what the parameters are, so it’s a continual conversation.”
She added that the discrepancy “puts us in a really uncomfortable position when our numbers don’t match with the state’s.”
The county Public Health Department has requested the state data include a footnote indicating “there would always be a lag” due to the differences in methodology.
“I’m hoping that at least that caveat will be posted on their dashboard,” Dr. Do-Reynoso said.
The state data does not include a breakdown regarding demographics or the regional areas where new cases have been reported.
The state data indicates that 74 confirmed COVID-19 patients are receiving treatment at local hospitals, as well as 14 suspected COVID-19 patients. A total of 26 patients are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit, as well as one suspected patient.
The data indicates that 44 patients are receiving treatment at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, 27 at Santa Barbara Cottage and 3 at Lompoc Valley Medical Center.
