Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Limited Vaccines Available for 65+ Starting Tuesday & More Mask Guidance

Vaccine Update
Residents of Santa Barbara County who are age 65 and older will be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday, February 16, 2021. This expanded eligibility means that local health care providers, pharmacies, hospitals, and Public Health vaccination sites can open appointments to those 65+ once vaccines become available to them. Vaccine supplies are still very limited and health care providers are simultaneously ensuring those that received a first dose will also be able to receive a second dose.

Due to very limited vaccine supply, a limited number of first-dose appointments for those over 65 will be announced on FEBRUARY 16. Please visit https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine

Given the low levels of vaccine availability and the fact that we are expecting the Governor to require future signups to be in the state system, I would advise signing up if you have co-morbities or high likelihood of future exposure. I would advise to wait if you do not, because it is likely to be quite a hassle to sign-up multiple times.

Additionally, below are some details on the vaccination rate to date:

Santa Barbara County Vaccination Rate

  • 61,000 Doses received
  • 45,548 First doses administered
  • 14,365 Second doses administered
  • 99% Doses administered
Revised Health Officer Order
Yesterday at 5:00 pm the Public Health Department Health Officer issued a new Order, which included the following changes:

  • Gyms can offer one-on-one personal fitness training indoors for one person at a time. No more than a total of one personal fitness trainer and one client are permitted indoors at a time. When providing one-on-one personal fitness training indoors, gyms must follow California Department of Public Health guidance for “limited services.”)

 

  • Places of worship and providers of religious and cultural ceremonies may operate indoors with occupancy limited to 25% capacity (so long as guidance and additional modifications followed, as provided by California Department of Public Health guidance for places of worship)
  • Wedding ceremonies may occur indoors with occupancy limited to 25% capacity (so long as state guidance and additional modifications are made pursuant to California Department of Public Health guidance for places of worship).
How to Slow Spread in the Workplace
COVID-19 is easily spread when people gather and when maintaining physical distance becomes difficult. Protect your household by maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from those you do not live with and wearing face coverings outside of the home.

 

Face coverings in the workplace are required:

  • All food workers must wear facial covers which cover the nose and mouth and are supplied by the employer and maintained in a clean, sanitary manner.
  • At the workplace or at off-site work locations any time workers are:
  • Interacting in person with a member of the public;
  • Working in any space visited by members of the public; regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time.
  • In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.
  • Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others.
  • Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities.
  • While outdoors when unable to maintain at least 6′ of distance from person who are not members of the same household.

Additional Measures in Response to COVID-19:

  • Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
  • If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed COVID-19 should refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.

The County of Santa Barbara requires that everyone wear a face covering when inside of a business. This is a Health Officer Order. All Health Officer orders can be viewed here. For more information on mask use, check out the CDC guidance here.