Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced changes to his criteria for counties to be able to move more quickly through Stage 2 of his reopening plan (although no counties can move past Stage 2 into Stage 3 until the Governor authorizes that action) and today, our Public Health Director is sending in our attestation that Santa Barbara County meets the criteria.
The new criteria is as follows:
Despite a large increase in the amount of testing, COVID-19 infections continue to be modest. During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors hearing, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Director presented the above graph, which indicates that new cases have continued to decline if you exclude the cases from the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution. At the Board of Supervisors meeting this coming Tuesday, the Board will receive a presentation on the Reopening In Safe Environment (RISE) Guide, which builds off of the guidance from the Governor’s Resilience Roadmap but also provides local guidance and best practices for industry sectors as developed by an expert panel.
Good news, expanded testing begins next week, see below for details. Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the State’s plan to reopen the economy in four stages:
Stage 1: Improving testing and tracing, procuring personal protective equipment and ensuring hospital surge capacity.
Stage 2: Opening, with adaptations, school and child care facilities and lower-risk workplaces like retail stores, manufacturers and offices. Park and trail restrictions will also be loosened.
Stage 3: Opening higher-risk workplaces, like gyms, nail and hair salons, movie theaters, sports without live audiences and churches.
Stage 4: End of the stay-at-home order; reopen highest-risk workplaces, like concerts, convention centers and live-audience sports.
At today’s Board of Supervisors hearing, the Board received updated information on the outbreak at the Federal Prison in Lompoc, graphical presentation of Santa Barbara County COVID-19 By the Numbers, and a look ahead regarding Economic Reopening Plan development. As you can see from the graph above, although there is variability day-to-day, we are seeing a downward trend in the increase in total cases per day. The goal is to see some consistency in the downward trend and it seems we are headed down that path.
As the State evaluates ways to safely modify the statewide stay-at-home order, they have developed six key indicators that will be considered before such modification would take place: Expand our testing capabilities, contact tracing, and support for Californians who contract…
The good news is that physical distancing is working. Our County Public Health Department and the hospitals have worked to increase hospital bed capacity to about 590 countywide, yet our hospitalizations are at 40 (confirmed patients). Lives have been saved by our combined efforts, so please keep it up as the State wrestles with how long the “Shelter in Place” order will last and we wrestle with what we will do if the order is lifted or modified.
As we enter the weekend, many are feeling the disappointment of not being able to celebrate religiously significant holidays in close physical proximity to friends and loved ones. However, virtual hugs, decorated homes, recipe swaps, special meals and your best holiday attire can make Passover, Easter, and Ramadan feel special while practicing physical distancing. Here are some ways you can practice physical distancing during the Holidays:
Governor Newsom announced new help for small businesses & workers displaced by COVID-19. $50 million in loan guarantees is available for small businesses that may not be eligible for federal relief and the State is also allowing small businesses to…
We are together facing yet another time of crisis, and how we behave in it will define and test our community and our humanity. Many have lost jobs or income, seen their products rot without customers, their businesses close, and some are even now seeing their loved ones sick. We must be a community where individuals take it upon themselves to shorten the economic crisis and save lives, by practicing social distancing without the need for Big Brother government or well-meaning neighbors to tell you how to behave.
As we head into a new week, we have increasingly detailed information to share and resources we hope will aid you during this time of continued uncertainty and stress, whether you are looking for ways to help, want to support…
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…
These are not the times for either panic or complacency. Please practice social distancing and respect Governor Newsome’s “shelter in place” order but also have compassion and understanding that many of our neighbors are still working and are required work for…
California Governor Gavin Newsom just announced a statewide order for all California residents to shelter in place. The order goes into effect this evening. The following services will remain open through the order: Gas stations Pharmacies Food: Grocery stores, farmers…
I know that many of you have fear, anxiety, and additional, very real burdens from the Coronavirus outbreak. Some of you have lost work, some of you are in danger of losing your business and your dream, and some of you…
Greetings! , The weather advisory issued for FRIDAY night through SATURDAY morning has been upgraded to an evacuation warning. A storm is coming in that is expected to be exceed thresholds to require evacuation. This means that we are in the…
