Cottage Health Pleads With Residents to Stay Safe as COVID-19 Hospitalizations Increase
By Ron Werft, President and CEO of Cottage Health
While California recently announced that people 65 years old and over are eligible to receive COVID-19, it will take time for vaccine supplies and resources to accommodate all those in this age group.
With the surging hospitalizations and spread of COVID in the community, Cottage Health is providing ongoing patient care while at the same time working quickly along with other providers to expand COVID vaccination access for our community. These combined efforts are vital in getting us to the other side of this pandemic. Your partnership will be essential – in continuing COVID safety precautions to stop the spread of virus, and in getting vaccinated to help protect yourself when you are eligible.
We are getting closer each day, but we are not done. We must keep going to protect each other, our patients and our community. Here are updates on efforts currently underway:
Surging Hospitalizations
Even as vaccine efforts begin, community transmission of COVID is widespread, at 15% for the 7-day testing positivity rate. Our most urgent priority is to have staff, equipment and supplies available to keep pace with the increased number of hospitalized patients.
For the first time last week, COVID hospitalizations surged over 100 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. This week, more than 200 patients with COVID are hospitalized throughout Santa Barbara County, with more than 2,500 active infections now reported in our community.
Approximately 10% of individuals diagnosed with COVID will need to be admitted to the hospital for care. Hospital stays for COVID are longer than average stays, and this is putting a strain on hospital staff and capacity.
Careful surge planning has worked to maintain bed capacity at Cottage so far, but the numbers are deeply concerning. COVID safety precautions have never been more important. Gatherings are spreading the virus widely in our community. Please remain diligent in making safe choices.
For now, safety precautions are needed even for those who have been recently vaccinated. There are better days ahead, but it may take months to build immunity in our community.
Staff Vaccinations
In the past few weeks, the CH Staff Vaccine Clinic has vaccinated over 70% of patient- facing staff and administered more than 5,800 total doses of vaccine. This will be a critical tool in protecting staff, helping our staff stay healthy and able to serve on the frontlines of patient care.
Community Vaccinations
Cottage Health will continue working alongside partners in the community in the effort to vaccinate more than 400,000 people throughout the County. It will take many working together to achieve the immunity level needed to end this pandemic.
To begin, Cottage Health opened a Drive-Up COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on the GVCH campus, now serving healthcare workers and beginning to vaccinate individuals age 75 and over. With over 30,000 individuals 75 and over in Santa Barbara County, we were only able to scratch the surface with our first limited stock of 1,000 doses, all of which were administered in the initial two-day clinic. Other community partners are reporting the same. There is high demand but very little vaccine at this time. It will take some time for the supply chain and resources to catch up.
Along with our community partners, we will continue to offer clinics and share updates as more vaccine and information becomes available. If you are age 75 or over, please sign up at cottagehealth.org/covid19 to receive a future appointment opportunity.
The vaccine allocations are very difficult to predict, and information changes rapidly. Thank you for your understanding as we work through this quickly evolving effort.
I know much has been asked of the community over the past year. Please stay diligent. Stay with the precautions as we work to achieve community immunity and stop this virus that is straining hospital capacity throughout the State.
Comments Penalty Box
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55 Comments
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Jan 23, 2021 05:07 PMHonestly what matters to me is what the number of covid positive hospitalizations are because that is indicative of the people that are seriously sick and saying. Whatever the testing conspiracy theory stuff is that is going around has really nothing to do with those numbers. Honestly, I just know that I don't want it and I don't want anyone I love to be one of those that are seriously sick, or die, from covid.
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Jan 23, 2021 04:33 PMThe MSM has not removed the "death count". Its time to lay off the Tucker Carlson conspiracy theories.
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Jan 23, 2021 05:04 PMYesterday they said the numbers were going down? They can’t even keep their narrative in order. The government at every level during covid has been disastrous and yet many of you still want these people to control every aspect of your lives. That’s scary. You can let these people tell you what to do and when but I’m going to beat my own drum.
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Jan 23, 2021 08:10 PMMany families and businesses are perfectly capable of going to the beat of their own drum, in a safe manner, without the need for bureaucrats to micro-manage their lives.
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Jan 24, 2021 11:34 AM722, the fact that you get to "many of you still want these people to control every aspect of your lives"...
Come on.
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Jan 23, 2021 05:30 PMI am under 75 so I will patiently wait for my turn. What I don't like is hearing almost daily that people younger than I are getting vaccinated. Not first responders. Not nursing home residents. Just retirees like me. From several I have spoken with, it's kind of who you know. "I went with my spouse who is over 75 and i got one too'. Or 'Someone told me to show up and I could get one'. " I called so-and-so and got an appointment". Those in charge need to follow the guidelines and not make exceptions for friends, etc.
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Jan 23, 2021 05:40 PMI'm OK with it if the vaccine dose would otherwise go to waste. The more people vaccinted, the better.
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Jan 23, 2021 06:25 PMWhat I don’t like is California is dead last in vaccination rate... what the hell newsome??!!!! We need to get as many people vaccinated as possible!!! It seems like California in February should have less issues and be doing better than Minnesota and Montana...
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Jan 23, 2021 06:57 PMAgreed. Give priority to healthcare workers and elderly, particularly in living facilities, but don't let spare doses go to waste. Give those to whoever wants them. Los Angeles, and other cities, have had an issue of wasted doses because of people not showing up to their appointments.
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Jan 24, 2021 09:18 AMActually 48th out of 59 states and territories. It still sucks. Friends in smaller states are bragging about how easy it is to get the vaccine, no lines, appointments available etc. Very irritating and alarming at the same time. Have tried for weeks to get a shot for an 80 plus relative. The best he got was mid April appointment through his medical provider.
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Jan 24, 2021 09:23 AMCalif is at the bottom of many lists. This is a most serious situation. Make it a priority to sign the recall Newsom petition..
We have booted an incompetent leader before.
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Jan 24, 2021 09:29 AMI love the Newsom anger, like he is the sole person distributing this. follow the trail. it always leads to higher up incompetence. like how Biden cant FIND the stock piles of vaccines TRUMP said were there! yeah newsoms fault though. gezzus
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Jan 24, 2021 09:30 AMThe news yesterday was that we had dropped to 50th place. Impressive stuff from our leaders.
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Jan 24, 2021 11:08 AMPSTARSR - Wait... what?? Wasn’t trump president of all The states? So if California is last in distribution... that’s still Trumps fault? That California hasn’t administered 1/2 of the 5 million shots they’ve been given? We’re struggling to not waste/lose the shots we actually have... it’s crazy and embarrassing!
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Jan 24, 2021 12:17 PMduke, although id love to blame trump for eveything. My comment did come off like that. so I apologize. I meant was, there has been some issues with the supply vs the actual COUNT of supply being distributed. it was a general statement, and newsom has little control over that part. the fat that they are not distributing supplies they have is embarrassing.
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Jan 24, 2021 12:17 PMThe Scuttlebutt at the Water Cooler is that we are now 4 months behind on Community Vaccination .
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Jan 24, 2021 01:14 PMEventually (I hope) we’ll hold our leaders responsible for their failures in leadership during this pandemic.
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Jan 24, 2021 01:14 PMWe truly have been witnessing incompetence at every level... federal, state and local. From trump to newsome to carbajal... it’s been a circus!
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Jan 24, 2021 02:20 PMRecall organizers say they have collected have reached 1.2 million signatures toward the 1.5 million petition signatures needed to place the recall on the ballot, and they have until mid-March to hit the required threshold. Good Luck.
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Jan 24, 2021 04:10 PMI know you know more than I do, as you're a scientist.
But you might have missed this new trend:
search "news stand by covid vaccine lines"
And you must know about the low-waste syringes and how we (the USA) needs more of them. They are not the type of syringe being shipped with the vaccine.
I know you'll have a rebuttal.
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Jan 24, 2021 04:13 PMIf 45 WAS president of all the states and all Americans, why did he threaten states, politicians and groups of citizens that he didn't agree with?
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Jan 24, 2021 05:05 PMNever fear. The recall movement has recruited the Qanon and Proud Boys crazies to help gather signatures.
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Jan 24, 2021 06:42 PMCan you back up your claim. You sound like trump whining!!! No one I know is part of the extreme left or right. Many middle of the roaders are fed up.
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Jan 24, 2021 07:58 PMCan you back up your claim. You sound like trump whining!!! No one I know is part of the extreme left or right. Many middle of the roaders are fed up.
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Jan 24, 2021 06:54 PMFront page LAT today.
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Jan 24, 2021 07:19 PMYes, of course, investigative journalism is anathema for the con clown crowd.
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Jan 24, 2021 07:27 PMOk... But then by that logic, how are you blaming him for California, the state which most demonstrably and loudly and proudly rejected him, being last in vaccination rate? Trump was horrible... but to blame him for California’s incompetent vaccine roll out (hovering between dead last and 45th for awhile now) is... well it’s dumb. Trump was a terrible president... but the powers that be in California are also terrible...
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Jan 24, 2021 09:52 PMSANDY1: Breaking news is that Newsom is going to lift the stay at home order for the entire state, despite the fact we're supposed still at 0% ICU availability. The shutdown clearly didn't work and it now looks like Newsom is feeling the heat from that red hot petition.
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Jan 25, 2021 08:14 AMYes Newsom is following the “science” of getting recalled. Political Science !
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Jan 23, 2021 06:09 PMToday's headline: "COTTAGE HEALTH PLEADS WITH RESIDENTS TO STAY SAFE AS COVID-19 NUMBERS INCREASE"
Yesterday's headline: "COVID-19 NUMBERS TRENDING DOWN AS DEATHS INCREASE"
These two headlines seem to be at odds. So which is it, are the number increasing or decreasing? Apart from today’s (Saturdays) 531 new cases, the 5-day average for new daily cases this past week is around 300/day. Today’s numbers appear to be impacted by a large number of new cases in Santa Maria, which could be simply a reporting anomaly/delay. Overall, the worst that resulted from the holidays and New Year’s appears to be behind us. The 7-day testing positivity rate quoted by Mr. Werft is also a week old. As of today, the 7-day average (Jan 17 – 23) for testing positivity is 10.2%, so we are doing much better. The current 7-day average case rate is 74.0 new cases/100,000. Our highest case rate was 112.7 on January 16, and it’s been steadily declining since that date.
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Jan 23, 2021 06:34 PMI don’t much care about the specific day-by-day numbers. With a virus as contagious as this, the numbers will go up and down. The virus keeps spreading, some people die of it, many others have long-term, distressing symptoms. Some escape with no ill effects, but that can’t be predicted. Hospitals have more than they can handle comfortably. I don’t mind if others analyze the numbers more closely, but it won’t much affect how I behave. I’m being careful.
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Jan 23, 2021 06:52 PMAhchooo, that's a wise policy and one I've adopted myself. Although I haven't stated this in a long time, the main concern I have with viral infections in general is that viruses have the potential to insert their genetic material into our genomes. At least 8% of our DNA is leftovers from past viral infections. Some viruses, called oncoviruses, can insert their genetic material and disrupt the function of tumor suppressor genes, which then leads to cancer in the host organism. For those reasons alone I'm very careful, even pre-COVID, not to catch anything.
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Jan 23, 2021 08:07 PMThat 8% DNA stat is interesting, I'll have to read up on that.
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Jan 23, 2021 08:42 PMVOR, have a look at this: Endogenous retroviruses (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_retrovirus).
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Jan 24, 2021 09:43 AMThank you so much for sharing this, CSF. That is SO interesting. Like you said, all the more reason to avoid getting sick as much as we can. Hilarious because I've seen so many anti-vaxxers on social media claiming that viruses are GOOD for our immune system. LOL. I prefer the facts, thanks.
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Jan 23, 2021 07:00 PMI see 5 'new' deaths reported. One from the week of the 10th and four from the week of the 17th. The highest hospitalization at 211 was on Jan 12. We're currently at 191, up from 187 yesterday. The numbers being thrown out here are several days old. Even with the addition of 531 'new' cases being reported today, we're still only 6 active cases up from yesterday. Everything needs to be taken into context.
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Jan 24, 2021 12:00 PMTo Edhat editors: I appreciate that you have included this communication for the community to see. I have not seen this specific letter elsewhere, and this is information I we to know.
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Jan 24, 2021 02:02 PMHopefully the lack of preparedness by officials in the state of California simply led to a delay in vaccinations. However, if the state was this woefully unprepared, it leaves open the possibility that the state botched the thing and allow some portion of the vaccine allocation to spoil. More transparency from Sacramento would be good here.
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Jan 24, 2021 02:22 PMThe problems are with the erratic supply of the vaccine to the states from the federal level. It's hard to coordinate and plan when the supply situation is so flaky.
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Jan 24, 2021 02:45 PM222pm - so California’s inability to administer the doses they HAVE is a supply problem? We’re sitting on millions of doses...
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Jan 24, 2021 02:47 PMThat sure didn’t stop other states from getting their vaccine allocation to their residents in a timely manner.
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Jan 24, 2021 03:01 PM2:22 No it's not , not right now anyway...
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Jan 24, 2021 04:18 PMPlease do supply some information we can read! Are there news links?
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Jan 24, 2021 05:01 PMhttps://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/24/cdc-director-government-does-not-know-how-much-covid-vaccine-the-us-has.html
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Jan 24, 2021 05:34 PMhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55721437
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Jan 24, 2021 02:47 PMI’m not big on blaming, but we do need to figure out what happened. Does the state have vaccines that are sitting somewhere unused while Cottage and Sansum are ready and able to use them? If so, why, and who is in charge of getting those vaccines to Santa Barbara? Who can step in and fix the problem? Or does the state not actually have a stockpile?
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Jan 24, 2021 02:53 PMBingo Ahchoo. Sacramento needs to come clean. Too many people are suffering, too many businesses are getting strangled.
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Jan 24, 2021 02:55 PMOnly 42% of State inventory has been allocated by last Friday as far as I know
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Jan 24, 2021 04:28 PMCan you share the source of your information? We need to know. I hope it's not still only word of mouth.
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Jan 25, 2021 07:34 AMNo, they don't. Glad I could help.
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