This week, public health leaders in Santa Barbara County announced that Santa Barbara County could move into the orange level within weeks. The province just turned the corner in the red plane last week.
To get to the orange level, about two to five COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the country are needed, or four million vaccinations are given in the state of California.
Dr. Henning Ansorg, public health officer in Santa Barbara County, said Friday: ‘[It] is it possible that two [to] three weeks from now we have reached those thresholds and then the door is open to hopefully go to orange. ”
Public health officials in Santa Barbara County say the federal government is sending more vaccines to local pharmacies that will increase accessibility to vaccines.
“The federal government also sends doses that do not go through the state system to pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid. [These pharmacies] also offers vaccinations and I would encourage people to call it or go to their website and research it, because there are more vaccination opportunities that are becoming more and more available, ”said dr.
Vaccines have a shelf life, so pharmacies can offer the extra doses to members of the community if people do not show up for their appointments.
CVS says in a statement to KSBY:
We follow all CDC and manufacturer’s guidelines regarding the proper storage and administration of each COVID-19 vaccine to ensure that the vaccine is not wasted. Our online scheduling tool also helps ensure that appointments match the available vaccine supply. In the case of unused doses in our pharmacies, our pharmacy teams will evaluate how to vaccinate suitable individuals with remaining doses effectively. This includes reaching out to eligible patients in their communities, as our pharmacies maintain patient profiles with information that can help determine who is eligible.
CVS
According to Santa Barbara County, people should stay safe especially during Spring Break and upcoming holidays to avoid a COVID surge.
San Luis Obispo County is also on its way to the orange level. The latest statistics show that the country’s positivity rate already meets the requirements, but officials did not say when the move to orange could happen.
The orange level offers more openings for businesses and recreation.
Click here to see what can open in the orange level.