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As we conclude the first week of Governor Newsom’s “shelter in place” order, I am encouraged by our community’s resilience and determination to “flatten the curve” while also rapidly enacting safeguards for our vulnerable community members.
At the County, we are taking additional precautions. Effective immediately, a Health Officer Order requires temperature checks at the Santa Barbara County Emergency Operations Center, Department Operations Center, Jails, and Probation Department.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass an urgency ordinance to place a moratorium on evictions of residential tenants who live in the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County during this local emergency period due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last thing we need in the midst of all this is for people to lose their shelter and increase everyone’s risk.
I know both property owners and home owners are wondering how they will make their next payments, which is why it is welcome news that yesterday, Governor Newsom announced that four of the five big banks — Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo — along with almost 200 state-chartered banks and credit unions, had agreed to put off collecting mortgage payments for up to 90 days from borrowers who can document they’ve been affected by the crisis. The financial institutions also agreed not to report the late payments to credit agencies and wouldn’t start foreclosure sales or evictions. Bank of America committed to a 30-day pause for now. The Governor also announced a surge in the state’s existing hospital beds, adding another 30,000 beds by using outbuildings on existing campuses and setting up tents in parking lots.
If you are operating any emergency response activities related to COVID-19, power companies have requested that you notify them of the location so that they can flag the address in their system. In the event there was a power failure, this would allow the power company to prioritize power restoration for these sites. For PG&E customers, please email Steve Crawford at SDCK@pge.com. For SCE customers, please notify Rondi Gutherie at Rondi.Guthrie@SCE.com.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD) is confirming 26 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County at this time. Of these cases, 18 are recovering at home, 6 have recovered, and 2 are being hospitalized.
Public health officials will begin to share more information about the cities and areas where confirmed cases reside. Of the 26 cases, 6 cases have occurred in Santa Maria, 5 in Orcutt, 10 in Santa Barbara, and 5 in other south county areas (Montecito, Carpinteria, and Summerland). Although PHD has released the cities and areas where confirmed COVID-19 cases have occurred, it is critical that residents in all areas of the county stay at home and practice social distancing when performing essential tasks outside their home.
For those of you seeking social and emotional support during this difficult and stressful time, the Santa Barbara County Community Wellness Team has a host of resources available for people struggling through this time and can be reached at (805) 364-2750. Additionally, the Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center Fellowship Club is offering Social and Emotional support via telephone at (805) 845-3281. If someone doesn’t pick up, please leave a message and your call will be returned. And, as always, the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness 24/7 Access Line at (888) 868-1649 is available for questions, crisis needs, or linkage to alcohol and drug or mental-health services.
Keeping a positive and informed perspective that we will get through this, together, is critical to reducing the emotional impacts and continuing to create resiliency.
For many, the best way to get away from the frustrations and stress of this crisis is to help others. If you are outside the at-risk population, you can volunteer for a partnership between Bucket Brigade and the County to staff Food Bank (help distribute food) and PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), which needs volunteers to help prepare food at the shelter. Sign up to volunteer here.
Santa Barbara County Food Bank is hosting additional food distributions in order to meet the growing need in the community caused by COVID-19. All sites are implementing social distancing practices to ensure the food you receive is safe! Many locations offer a drive-thru option to minimize contact, and others are scheduling food pick-up appointments for individuals to prevent crowds. Check the website for the most current information about distribution sites.
For information on how to support local businesses through this time, please visit Downtown Santa Barbara.
To donate to the United Way of Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 Response Effort, please click here. To request information about individual financial assistance, please click here.
We strongly urge people 65 and older to self-isolate completely. Either get a friend/family member to shop for you or use a grocery delivery service.
What do I do if I’m experiencing symptoms?
A: if you are experiencing any upper respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, sneezing, shortness of breath, or fever) the best thing for you to do is behave as if you have the virus and self-isolate until 72 hours after freedom of symptoms.
If you want to see or talk to a doctor about your symptoms, please CALL AHEAD. Do you not go into any health care facility while experiencing these symptoms.
If you do not have insurance, our County Health Clinics and Neighborhood Clinics are available to you. Again, CALL AHEAD.
Please take of yourselves and each other!
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