COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise Significantly Among Unvaccinated Residents

Source: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
COVID-19 cases have reached critically high levels in Santa Barbara County as the local case rate has reached 9.8 cases per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate of 6.9%. With these metrics, Santa Barbara County would be in the purple tier in the now retired tiered framework. These metrics mean that we have widespread community transmission of the delta variant. Over 400 active cases have been detected locally, a 55% increase from the previous 2-week average. As of July 20, over 86% of new cases occurred in unvaccinated community members.

New cases of COVID-19 have dramatically increased in July and the demographics of those contracting the virus have shifted. Cases in the past month have trended younger with persons 18-29 years of age making up the majority of cases. More cases are now being detected in the southern part of the county which is a contrast from earlier in the pandemic when the majority of new infections occurred in north county.
The Public Health Department strongly advises all community members to follow these strategies:
- Wear a mask in all indoor spaces outside your home.
- Stay home if you are ill, even if you have been vaccinated.
- Avoid crowded events.
- Get vaccinated if you have not done so already.
"As we enter this new phase of the pandemic, the landscape has changed dramatically from last year's summer surge", shared Van Do-Reynoso, County Public Health Director. "We have the safe, effective solution to stop this surge in its tracks. We need every eligible member of this community to act and get vaccinated as soon as possible. There are still 149,688 persons eligible to be vaccinated in Santa Barbara County, who have not been vaccinated."

For free vaccine opportunities in your area:
- Visit https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/
- Call 2-1-1 for information available in many languages 24/7
- Text GETVAX to 438829 for English or VACUNA to 822862 for Spanish
Comments Penalty Box
5 Comments deleted due to down vote
13 Comments deleted by Administrator
105 Comments
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Jul 30, 2021 10:47 PMYah, I saw that new death, but it wasn't updated in the County Health Dept. chart. The total is still 459, and they don't seem to have updated since the end of June. The last death that was noted on the chart was reported on July 19th and from the week of May 22. Since then, the chart has not been updated, and the 1 death reported today, was actually retracted, but on the daily status report, not on the official "Summary" report. There was another on July 23rd, but that, too, has not been added to the chart.
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Jul 31, 2021 07:19 AMAll deaths must be verified by the coroner therefore they lag weeks behind the actual date the death occurred.
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Aug 02, 2021 11:19 AMMountainman, this is a correction of something you posted the other day, about the PCR test being withdrawn by CDC as of September. Lots of outlets correcting the misinterpretation:
https://www.factcheck.org/2021/07/scicheck-viral-posts-misrepresent-cdc-announcement-on-covid-19-pcr-test/
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Jul 30, 2021 11:10 PMSo we have growing cases, therefore it’s Delta? If so, other news says vaxed folks are getting and spreading the delta, that’s why they want you to wear those covers on your face again that worked so well. They’re slow tripping us to lockdowns again, don’t take the bait.
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Jul 31, 2021 05:08 AM@GregOreo, please hurry up and catch a bad case of covid and come sit in the nice isolation ICU hooked up to a vent. This way you can learn the difference between fairy tale phony conspiracy theories and real disease with lasting impacts. But. If you don't believe in science then please stop using all modern medicine. Thank you for saving us all money. And time.
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Jul 31, 2021 08:04 AMI really do hope we can avoid shutdowns this time. I haven’t heard any clear stats on the severity of illness amongst the vaccinated.
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Jul 31, 2021 08:17 AMAchoo stats are most vaxxed are asymptotic, low symptoms. Minor sickness if any. Unmasked dumbshit unvaxxed are in the er, mire severe symptoms are more worrisome longterm.
Get the shot, wear the mask
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Jul 31, 2021 09:22 AMPSTARSB how do you know they are asymptomatic? Why would someone who has no symptoms be tested? You cannot be correct logically speaking, they must be having symptoms serious enough to even bother to get tested or to know they were sick to get tested. I am frustrated at the lack of information here. Someone here recently posted they were sick with Covid and vaccinated. This is something we all deserve to know as I did what was asked and now am finding myself worried again.
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Jul 31, 2021 10:46 AMGregoreo ...This is idiotic and wrong. Stop spreading wrong information
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Jul 31, 2021 10:47 AMYes, what Hokey said. In the meantime I'll wear my mask when out and about in crowded areas because there are a lot of people NOT wearing them who are coughing and sneezing and invading my fully vaccinated space. I know that although I am vaccinated that I can still get covid, and pass it to others who may NOT be vaccinated, and I don't want to get sick or spread it so I will do the responsible thing. I know that being vaccinated reduces the changes of me becoming seriously ill if I do contract the disease but I could still lose my ability to taste and smell things, which would SUCK, as well as so many other issues that I don't want. Vaccinated doesn't mean immune, we all still have a responsibility to reduce the spread. Mask up folks! Right now it's like 1 in 20 at the grocery stores and that is downright scary!
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Jul 31, 2021 10:50 AMAndrea, and others, you can have covid and be asymptomatic. I know of several people that are vaccinated and had trips planned and only found out that they have covid because they did the required testing for travel. At a minimum they had to cancel their trips and then on top of it they have a 2 week quarantine so no work. At the same time they are worried about if they spread it to the unvaccinated in their lives. It's still a very real issue and those of you who are in denial are 100% the reason WHY it is still an issue. Ignoring it will not make it go away. NOT vaccinating yourselves and then going out without masks will NOT make it go away. At this point it is the fault of those of you that the issue is this present.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:04 AMFolks are tested routinely at work , schools and other institutions, and before entering the medical system for routine surgery, emergency care etc. Of course not all cases of asymptomatic spread are found but a significant sample is possible.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:05 AMAndrea Smith : Folks are tested routinely for Covid at work, schools and other institutions, and before entering the medical system for routine surgery, emergency care etc. Of course not all cases of asymptomatic spread are found but a significant sample is possible.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:10 AM@andrea, I know from reading and listening to medical experts. this has been shared all over, this isnt new. I am only sharing it with you
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Jul 31, 2021 02:05 PMSBSAND, thank you for being a good person. I'm doing the same. I just cannot wrap my head around people who have politicized this virus and are refusing vaccines that work. I don't care if they don't protect us 100%, I'll take the upped odds and be grateful that I'm fully vaccinated. I feel a little safer, although not much, judging by some people in our community. I have never stopped wearing a mask, even though the CDC briefly lifted those guidelines, because I know that we are not out of the woods yet.
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Jul 31, 2021 02:06 PMYES, PSTARSR! 100%!!!!
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Jul 31, 2021 02:07 PMGREGOREO, Please stop spreading idiotic drivel and misinformation. If you want to catch Covid and get gravely ill, go right ahead, but please don't come anywhere near me with your unvaccinated germs!
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Aug 01, 2021 09:35 PM8:01 PM - Bullpuckey.
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Aug 02, 2021 06:41 AMI agree
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Jul 31, 2021 09:21 AMSo with the cases in the vaccinated, what symptoms if any are they having? I have to assume they are symptomatic otherwise they would not get tested. Are they having mild, moderate symptoms and if so, what are they? Are any in the hospital? This is what I'd like to know as I am vaccinated and now worried again. The fact that these are even reported means these people were symptomatic enough to get tested and get a positive result which is worrisome.
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Jul 31, 2021 09:31 AMI'm sure the symptoms and severity will vary greatly from person to person, but know that being vaccinated symptoms and severity are massively mitigated. I was talking to someone yesterday whose 20 year old son just got it, he was vaccinated, mild flu symptoms over 3 days.
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Jul 31, 2021 09:39 AMI suppose some people get tested for reasons like planned air travel, or as a job requirement. Or maybe they know they were around a sick person. But I, too, want to know more. How mild is mild? At the beginning of the pandemic we heard anecdotal reports of people with “mild” illness who nonetheless felt like #@%! for weeks. I know a guy (in another town) who thought he was going to die, could barely move for days, but he was never hospitalized, never interviewed by any authority, and therefore his case was considered mild, I guess. I do realize that we may all eventually contract some form of covid-19, just as most of us have had influenza at some point. I’m just trying to figure out how rigorous to be with my mask wearing. Pretty cloth mask, or N95? I want to have some real data on which to base my behavior.
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Jul 31, 2021 09:45 AMANCHOO totally agree. But why would someone need to bet tested for work if they are vaccinated? I am scheduled to fly soon for a long overdue trip to see family which includes older relatives and I'm worried now and wondering if I need to cancel as the last thing I want to do is pick this Delta thing up on the plane and spread it unknowingly. I may end up aysmptomatic but they might now. I also received an email from the CEO of Sansum who said 97% of cases are in the unvaccinated but this now says 86% so more conflicting information. I think they don't want to tell us b/c they don't want to discourage vaccination but what they don't realize is this conflicting/lack of information is fueling the anti vaxxers and making those of us who did what we were asked frustrated and wondering. They need to be more transparent and stop with the conflicting information!!
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Jul 31, 2021 11:12 AMpeople get tested at work when there are cases.
as with my work we had 3 cases last week in our office. so we get tested. thats how asymptomatic carries are found. or atleast one way. keep it civil
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Jul 31, 2021 12:24 PMANDREA SMITH - you've misunderstood what you read per your JUL 31, 2021 09:45 AM post. The 97% number in Dr. Ransohoff's Sansum Clinic update is a national statistic for hospitalizations. The 86% number in SBPHD's update is a county statistic for new cases. Apples and oranges.
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Jul 31, 2021 01:34 PMSo what? The fact remains that 14% right now are in vaccinated people here in our local community where we live. That is much higher than in weeks past.
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Jul 31, 2021 01:39 PMEAST BEACH and I'd add, the nationwide figure is misleading b/c there are many places where case positivity is much lower than here, like around 2% [where my family lives for example]. As that changes, and it will, we will likely see the same percentage changes among the vaccinated.
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Jul 31, 2021 08:13 PMAccording to Fauci, 99.5% of the people seriously ill in hospital are unvaccinated. The remaining 0.5% were vaccinated people with preexisting conditions, including the immunocompromised, who apparently weren't being careful enough (lax wearing masks) and caught the virus.
So, to sum up, this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated, which is hitting the Red States especially hard because they have a lot of Trump supporters, evangelical Christians and paranoid people addicted to online conspiracy theories.
I hope that reassures you that living in liberal Santa Barbara, with a high vaccination rate, the chances of survival, unmasked, are very good indeed.
Still, it would be nice to have a UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE.
Where is the Mayor, Cathy Murillo? Why hasn't Santa Barbara stepped up to enforce vaccine compliance with city workers? This would be right thing to do.
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Jul 31, 2021 08:17 PMStill, it would be nice to have a UNIVERSAL !!! VACCINE !!! MANDATE. (not a mask mandate)
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Jul 31, 2021 08:19 PMActually, I would be fine with a Mask Mandate, but ONLY if it was coupled with a VACCINE MANDATE.
The only way we beat this thing is to have a UNIVERSAL VACCINE MANDATE.
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Aug 01, 2021 07:04 PMNo, our body our choice. Always. No mandates.
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Aug 02, 2021 10:43 AM10:35 - You persist in spreading vaccine misinformation. The mRNA vaccines are safe and extremely effective, you have no right to endanger the rest of the population with your selfish actions, and the corona virus, luckily for us, mutates slowly compared to influenza.
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Aug 02, 2021 10:44 AMNASAN - are you pro-choice?
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Aug 02, 2021 11:25 AM@10:43, get yourself vaccinated and don't worry about what others do. If you think Channelfog is spreading vaccine misinformation, then I'm not sure whey you're calling half the population selfish as you have nothing to worry about. Sounds more like you're the selfish one for trying to force your will on others even when your covid risk has been reduced below that of many other risks society has accepted living with, even other communicable diseases.
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Jul 31, 2021 10:24 AMStatistics are often kinda squishy, even when people aren’t trying to obfuscate. Data isn’t always recorded the same way in different locales, so adding things up and comparing doesn’t work quite right. But I want as much honesty as they can manage. Anti-vaxxers seem to twist everything to justify their position, so the authorities shouldn’t massage their data to try to appease the contrarians.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:15 AMAndrea, no one told you that wearing a mask would increase your risk. im sorry but where ever you are getting your info is obviously wrong as per most of your posts in this thread alone.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:27 AMI never heard that we shouldn’t wear masks. The reputable authorities were saying we didn’t neeeeed them, because they were saving them for health care workers, and because they were unobtainable. Clearly masks were believed to be helpful all along, because why else would the nurses want them?
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Jul 31, 2021 11:31 AMPSSTAR I am absolutely correct. I wanted to wear a mask and I specifically recall they said it can increase chance of infection if not put on/removed correctly and people touching their face. Here is one example: Feb. 29, 2020
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams tweets that wearing a face mask will not prevent the public from contracting the novel coronavirus.
“Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!” he wrote in a tweet that was later deleted. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus,
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Jul 31, 2021 12:12 PMAnyone who thinks that masks are not important in reducing the spread of COVID is an utter fool.
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Aug 02, 2021 08:06 AMANDREA SMITH: to find that article you had to bypass multiple more recent articles that say he reversed his stance weeks after that and has remained a staunch supporter of wearing masks, urging the public again and afain to wear them. His most recent interview from 2 weeks ago includes him not only urging the unvaccinated to wear masks, but asking the CDC to mandate masks for the vaccinated as well.
He tweeted 2 weeks ago:
Jerome Adams
@JeromeAdamsMD
Last year Tony Fauci and I famously, prematurely, & wrongly advised against masks. I felt it was the best call at the time, but now regret it.
I’m worried the CDC also made a similarly premature, misinterpreted, yet still harmful call on masking in the face of ⬆️ delta variant.
4:15 PM · Jul 17, 2021
Source:
The CDC Must Rethink Its Mask Guidance, Says Former U.S. Surgeon General
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/20/1018226099/the-highly-contagious-delta-variant-is-pushing-u-s-coronavirus-cases-higher
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Aug 02, 2021 11:21 AM@12:12 if masking was that important at reducing the spread, why now, after 18+ months, is there still no blaringly clear data or study that could shut everyone up on the topic once and for all? If it was as instrumental as so many preach, why is it not literally jumping out of the data for all to see?
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Jul 31, 2021 10:43 AMAnti-Vaxx wackos going to ruin it all for the rest of us.
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Jul 31, 2021 10:44 AMGet vaccinated and we can squash this.
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Jul 31, 2021 11:17 AMyes
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Jul 31, 2021 12:12 PM1139 - In other words: Freedumb!
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Jul 31, 2021 02:01 PMBMKLOU, I will, I'll enjoy my bolstered immune system now that I am fully vaccinated. I'll live free and wear a mask in indoor shared spaces to protect myself and others because I CARE about people. Keep your FReEDuMb. I'll be a responsible forward thinking citizen that listens to science.
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Jul 31, 2021 10:52 AMIn a previous discussion people were applauding France and Macron from here. "We shold be more like the French"
Here is France today. Hundreds of thousand people marching in the street, fighting with police and burning stuff over vaccine passports and requirements.
You want the French Macron, but you also get the French Rebellion
https://twitter.com/i/status/1421461125300883459
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Jul 31, 2021 11:45 AMHere is another one from "why can't we all be like France"
https://twitter.com/i/status/1418966505014931459
In Australia they are helicopters over people and broadcasting on loudspeakers
https://twitter.com/i/status/1421402197724569600
They do that over LA, LBC, SFV, they'll get shot at.
Red, Blue, Green, there are people who are never going to vaccinate over a weak virus like COVID, never going to allow themselves to be bullied or shamed into masking over it and they would rather fight about it than comply.
The French videos show there are a lot of people like that
Its not the hill I would choose to die on, but Bunker Hill wasn't much more than a knoll
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Jul 31, 2021 06:25 PMI actually think it's a good thing the French Police are tear gassing the terrorist anti vaxxers. Hope they get imprisoned.
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Jul 31, 2021 12:32 PMThe vaccines are still very effective in preventing hospitalization and death, even against the delta variant.
https://www.factcheck.org/2021/07/vaccines-remain-largely-effective-against-delta-variant-counter-to-claims-from-fox-news-guest/
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