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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Free Flu Shots, How to Vote, and More!

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At (Oct. 6’s) Board of Supervisors meeting, we received an update on COVID-19 and we are still in the Red Tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics. Currently we have 4 active cases in the South County Unincorporated Areas (which include Montecito, Summerland and the City of Carpinteria), 11 active cases in the City of Santa Barbara, and 118 active cases County-wide. This is a significant reduction compared to the peak of nearly 450 active cases County-wide during the spike in July. As you can see from the graph below, daily hospitalizations are decreasing overall as well.
Screenshot 2020-10-06 141611.jpg
Free Flu Shot Drive-Up Events
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department in collaboration with Sansum Clinic, Allan Hancock College, and the Medical Reserve Corps is hosting drive-up free flu shot events in October. All community members 2 years of age and older are invited to receive a free flu shot. Wear a face covering, remain in the car, complete a short form, and then get a vaccination. No insurance, identification, or appointment is needed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu vaccine is especially important to protect yourself, your family, and the community from flu. Equally important is that flu vaccination helps save limited medical resources necessary for the care of COVID-19 patients. Just like wearing a mask, getting a flu shot is an easy and safe action we can take to stay healthy during this pandemic. You can get a free flu shot at the following South County location:

San Marcos High School

4750 Hollister Ave.

Santa Barbara, CA

October 8, 2020

October 9, 2020

2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
The Great California Shakeout & Earthquake Preparedness
It’s that time of year again – the Great California Shakeout (Shakeout) is rapidly approaching! The Shakeout is an annual international earthquake preparedness drill, and is dedicated to educating and training the general public on basic earthquake safety, awareness, and protective actions.

The Shakeout drill is scheduled to take place on the third Thursday of every October. This year’s officially recognized Shakeout drill date is October 15, 2020, but you can participate anytime and in any way that is comfortable to you! Even if you are working from home, this is a great opportunity to engage your kids or others you live with to make sure everyone is ready for the next earthquake! Here are some examples of ways you can participate either at home or in the office:

This is also a perfect opportunity to make sure you are prepared for any emergency! Here are some ways to do that:

As we’ve all likely experienced, Santa Barbara County is no stranger to disasters. By preparing yourself and your households for emergencies, including earthquakes, we are collectively more resilient and ready to safely confront the challenges that lay ahead together.
Update on Unemployment
The California Employment Development Department put a pause on new claims until Oct. 5 to give it time to implement an automatic identity-verification tool to speed up processing times. Additionally, some unemployed Californians have been unable to access their benefits due to frozen debit cards and locked bank accounts, some of which were suddenly drained of money, as a result of the state EDD’s efforts to reduce fraud. The department is expected to provide an update on the problem at an Assembly hearing today.

The last major coronavirus aid bill expired two months ago and it seems likely that negotiations regarding another round of $1,200 direct cash payments to individuals, enhanced unemployment benefits, billions of dollars in assistance for small businesses, aid for the airline industry, and money for coronavirus testing will not be passed before the election.
Ballot Drop Box Locations
Ballots have arrived! And there are more options to vote this year than ever before!

 

1)   Mail it in! Our Elections office and USPS recommend people mail in their ballot EARLY. Be sure to SIGN and date the back of the return envelope. Ballot return envelopes DO NOT require postage! Track your ballot at: https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/

2)   Drop it off! Secure ballot drop boxes are located throughout the county 24 hours a day until 8 p.m., November 3.

Each Drop Box has been identified as a Drive-Up, Walk-Up, or both, and whether the box is accessible, please see below for details at each location.

County of Santa Barbara Administration Building – Accessible/Walk-Up

105 E. Anapamu St. (Anacapa Street Entrance)

 

County of Santa Barbara Elections Main Office – Accessible/Drive-Up/Walk-Up – 4440-A Calle Real

 

Eastside Branch Library – Accessible/Walk-Up – 1102 E. Montecito St.

 

MacKenzie Park – Accessible/Drive-Up/Walk-Up – 3111 State St. (corner of State and Las Positas)

 

San Andres Hardware – Accessible/Walk-Up – 635 W. Micheltorena St. (Corner of San Andres and Micheltorena)

 

Santa Barbara City College (West Campus Drop-Off) – Accessible/Drive-Up – 721 Cliff Dr.

3)     In-person options! For those who prefer in-person voting or for additional services including language assistance or a replacement ballot, 35 polling places will be open Saturday, October 31 through Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Facial coverings are required, and there may be a socially distanced waiting line. A list of all polling places and drop boxes are printed in the County Voter Information Guide and on the website at www.sbcvote.com.

Remember, every registered voter in California is receiving a ballot in the mail this year. If you haven’t received yours call 1-800-SBC-VOTE.

 

Take care,

Das