After two weeks of meeting the criteria, Santa Barbara County is now moving into the orange level.
The province saw a 21 percent decline in active cases from April 5 to 19. Hospital admissions and rates for intensive care units are the lowest since October last year – hospitalizations decreased by 63 percent and cases of ICU by 71 percent. Santa Maria, in particular, saw a 53 percent decline in cases from April 1 to 15.
The country’s adjusted rate is 4.5 and the positivity rate is 1.8 percent. To be in the orange level, the adjusted rate must be below 5.9 and the positivity rate below 4.9 percent.
Jasmine McGinty, chief analyst for the province, on Tuesday gave an update on the impact of the orange level on businesses. She said that to date, there are 4,706 businesses that have submitted their attestation and have reopened.
The main difference between moving from the red level to the orange level, McGinty said, is that the allowable capacity is changing. For example, a maximum of 25 people are allowed to congregate in the red level, but in the orange level it can bulge up to 50. While the full list of guidance is available Tuesday night, the state’s guidance for the orange level can be found here.
INSTITUTE SETTING
Fifty-two percent of Santa Barbara County residents received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 29 percent were fully vaccinated.
This week, the province received 7,280 first doses and 16,870 second doses. These totals do not include federal grants to pharmacies and other providers. Awards increase more each week.
Van Do-Reynoso, director of public health, also gave an update on the mobile clinics in the country. The purpose of the clinics is to bring the vaccine to those who do not have access to it, and it is built on the success of public health in bringing the vaccine to the elderly, home-bound individuals and the homeless.
There are five bilingual teams made up of eight or nine public health staff members, with the Santa Maria Health Care Center hosting three teams, Lompoc Health Center hosting one team, and Santa Barbara Healthcare Center hosting one team. The target groups are H2-A housing, community-based mental health centers and treatment centers, churches and others.
Do-Reynoso also encourages community groups to work with Public Health and request a mobile clinic for their employees or clients by sending an email [email protected].
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