Edhat Staff
Press conference held by Public Health Department officials (Screenshot: KEYT News)
By edhat staff
Santa Barbara County officials held an impromptu press conference to declare a Local Health Emergency in response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Thursday evening, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department declared the emergency in response to an increased spread of COVID-19 across the country and the Governor of California’s Declared State of Emergency and mass gathering guidance.
There are currently no confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County.
The Office of Emergency Management has been activated and is monitoring a phone line for the community to call in with questions at 833-688-5551.
SOCIAL DISTANCING MANDATE
An order has been issued mandating social distancing effective immediately until March 30 within Santa Barbara County. The decision was made based on the World Health Organization classifying COVID-19 as a pandemic and the recommendations from the California Department of Public Health to delay rates of transmission, illness, and death, said Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, Director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD).
The social distancing mandate creates firm parameters on public gatherings resulting in the cancellation or postponement of non-essential gatherings. Social distancing refers to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully slow community transmission of the virus. National health professionals vary in how strict social distancing should be but in general, it’s reducing contact with other people if you don’t have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms of any kind, self-quarantine. The Atlantic tackles this topic with a variety of questions and answers from health officials.
Large gatherings of 250 people or more are to be cancelled or postponed, such as concerts, conferences, or sporting events. Smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person should be postponed or canceled, including crowded auditoriums, rooms or other venues.
Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people. This includes gatherings such as those at retirement facilities, assisted living facilities, developmental homes, and support groups for people with health conditions.
COVID-19 TESTING
While there are zero cases of confirmed COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County, 9 individuals are currently being monitored as recent travelers by the PHD. They are self-isolated in their home under PHD supervision for 14 days monitoring any symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, cough, etc. After 14 days without symptoms, the travelers will be released from self-isolation.
PHD has tested 6 individuals, 5 of those located in South County, who met certain criteria for testing. These individuals have tested negative. Altogether PHD has monitored 61 individuals for potential COVID-19 but all results have been negative.
As of Thursday morning, California has 198 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 4 deaths.
Testing has been expanded statewide with 17 active labs in Calfornia including locations in San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. Two commercial labs, Lab Corps and Quest Diagnostics, have additionally come on board.
PHD stressed the importance that not everyone will be tested, certain criteria needs to be met for testing to be considered and it will not be offered on request. Those who pose a greater risk such as having a chronic medical condition, lung disease, heart disease, are over 60 years old, or congregate settings like skilled nursing facilties, will be prioritized.
For those who don’t meet the criteria but are having symptoms, it’s important to self-quarantine and contact a physician.
SCHOOLS CLOSED AS OF MONDAY, MARCH 16*
On Thursday evening, Santa Barbara County schools decided to cancel or postpone non-essential travel and events for students and staff but keep classrooms open. As of Friday afternoon, the decision was announced to close all public schools through the end of March.
Read more about the decision here.
LOCAL BUSINESSES
The county is working on a guideline of procedures for local businesses and restaurants so they can continue to operate while practicing social distancing.
Additionally, officials are planning to install 12 handwashing stations in various locations throughout the county. More information is expected to be released tomorrow on these measures.
For more information visit the Public Health Department’s COVID-19 Public Information Portal at https://publichealthsbc.org/
The full press conference is available below courtesy of KEYT News:
[*Editor’s Note: At the time of publication, local school officials decided to keep schools open. The next day they announced local schools will be closed. Updated information is provided in the article]
I hope schools will remain open. Keep the kids in their small classroom settings as much as possible. Don’t have assemblies, all school recess, etc. I think this could be a controlled environment and will keep the kids safer than closing and sending them into households that might not abide by the recommendations.
Agree! Also keeps parents working and able to support the family.
The decision to keep schools open or closed is a tough one. A double-edged sword ……. https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814438424/when-should-schools-close-for-coronavirus ….. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/03/09/is-it-really-good-idea-close-schools-fight-coronavirus/
Keeping life as normal as possible for kids is important to their wellbeing. I hope they’re able to keep the schools open til the worst of this is over.
Coronavirus is in SB County, probably, in the opinion of the expert, in response to Supervisor Hartmann. The article is correct that there are no confirmed cases in the county, but I did not find the line that reported that expert opinion. It is there on the video at the county website but I don’t have time to do the research to find the exact time, at the moment anyhow. But it is worth watching the whole thing – at least twice. Good fairly comprehensive report overall this is not intended as a criticism just an additional fact for the record. Otherwise false optimism gets a boost.
Children are thought to be safe from the coronavirus, although they can be vectors, but what about the teachers?
Interesting. Risk assessments are given in strata with increased risk at 60-70, more at 70-80, etcetera. Kids do carry and spread quite a bit of germs, afaik more so than older people. So that poses a heightened risk of teachers becoming infected. Whether or not kids have a greater level of viral infectivity overall than older people is a very interesting question. In other words, is the general characteristic that kids tend to carry and spread quite a few bugs going to also manifest with respect to the COVID19 virus? Will teachers, who are not likely to be masked up in N95 – unlike health care workers – become a conspicuous vector? A bitter pill but the reality on the ground will be what it is regardless of the upvote/downvote popularity contest. #morethanmerelyinconvenientruth
No disrespect, but keeping life as normal as possible would entail teaching that “this is an especially tough time for everybody” and “things are not always like this”. And anything done for the purpose of preserving normalcy must be subordinate to preventing suffering from horrible diseases. For instance, “normal” visits to grandmother, or “normal” wiping snot from one’s nose things like that will be definitel not in the normal mode. But of course this is what you mean by as normal “as possible”. Just, people will not agree on where to draw the line. Nobody wants to put someone else’s grandad at risk just so their kids have a nice normal time. I hope.
China had fever clinics. Before entering buildings or using mass transportation people’s temperature were taken. If you had a temperature you were taken to a fever clinic. You’re tested for the flu. You have CT scans and a Coronavirus testing if necessary. It took approximately 4 hours. If you tested positive you were placed in a gymnasium or other location with other people who it tested positive and then monitored by doctors and nurses. You didn’t go back and infect your family. They found that 70-80% of infections were due to living situations. We cannot self isolate unless we live alone. What are the plans for Santa Barbara? You have to understand that in many areas of town we have multiple people living in one bedroom. It’s unimaginable to believe that we are going to be able to have quarantines for entire families. People will infect the people they live with. We need a better plan. If we don’t have one the economy will crater as will our health system. We need leadership and a sound plan that removes the threat of community spread and takes care of our residents.
On Tuesday, Dr. Fisk of Cottage Hospital gave his OPINION that the virus has been here for a few weeks. He stressed it was only an opinion. It was reported in both Noozhawk and the Independent.
While I appreciate the sentiment, it’s interesting to note that in the Lake Washington School District in beleaguered King County (Seattle), a petition to close the schools was started by *students*. It was the idea of an eighth grader who didn’t want to spread the COVID-19 to his family. The district decided not to close their schools. I’m not necessarily saying that was a wrong or right decision. But some of these kids know what’s at stake (see WaPo link in earlier post).
Work hours have already been cut significantly for many in the county. They will keep schools open until its too late. Just one more week till spring break. In my opinion its well worth it closing them down. Moving too slow against a fast moving pandemic.
In other news, Sarah Palin was rapping “Baby got back” in a bear suit. This apocalypse sure is weird.
adamvant, those are total diagnosed cases. CDC and other official sources agree that there are many more cases nationwide, not diagnosed, as the testing rollout has been so pathetic here. No reason to hoard sanitizer or anything else, but it’s good to recognize that the virus is in the community and will continue to spread. Social distancing really helps slow that, so the health care system can continue to cope, unlike in Italy, where it spread exponentially in just five days.
Good call, however the last CT scan I had nearly put me on the streets. With my $6000 deductible I owed $3500 for that one scan.
Well good news is a Pineapple Express heading our way next week !
We need to think about our homeless and be sure to put hand-washing stations on State Street.
If you aren’t testing, you can’t tell whether the virus is here or not. I call it Schrodinger’s Coronavirus.
Stores are becoming covid-19 banks if indeed its here in the county. If the store is full please stay away from it!
COVID-19 is not “the flu”. Not only is it far more lethal, but also has much worse symptoms when nonfatal. In China they are now finding that some of the “recovered” patients have a 20-30% reduction in lung function. Keep in mind that “mild” COVID-19 cases are anything short of needing hospitalization … the category does not match the common meaning of the word.
By now we should be personally prepared for the worse while striving for the best of possible outcomes ,
“According to the CDC, today there are 1,215 total cases of Wuhan Coronavirus in the United States” — wrong; that’s the number of *confirmed* cases. Lack of testing makes it likely that the actual number of cases is a lot higher. “a total of 36 deaths. 19 of those deaths were in one retirement home in Washington state” — There are 270 confirmed case in Kings County. Most of those are not associated with the Life Care Center, which was the epicenter. There are 27 deaths in Kings County, 5 of which are not associated with LCC. These numbers will increase, and the numbers associated with the LCC will become smaller and smaller. That’s how the math of infectious diseases works. As for flu numbers, they are as irrelevant as the numbers for cancer or spider bites, except that the flu season makes it harder to diagnose COVID-19 and having the flu makes things worse for people with COVID-19, and increases its spread. “But if it makes you feel better, keep stockpiling toilet paper and Purell” — that’s bad advice. “Or, you can practice good hygiene” — of course. “and relax” — and you can bottle the snark and not attack people with legitimate concerns.
“It is called “novel” coronavirus because the world has never experienced a virus like this.”
— It was called “novel” when discovered because it was not any of the previously known coronaviruses … the designation had nothing to do with its effects. Note that the virus was originally called 2019-nCoV — the “n” standing for “novel” — but the official name of the virus is now SARS-CoV-2 because of its genetic relationship to the virus that caused SARS. (The name of the disease–COVID-19–is different from the name of the virus, just as AIDS is different from HIV.) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it
Irony is Free Coronavirus testing will pass in Congress today. But we don’t have the chemicals to run the tests. Meanwhile the WH’s very stable genius is tweeting that all of this is the fault of the CDC while we have members of Congress who can’t get tested. Let’s face it, we have clowns (sycophants of the very stable genius) running the government and major institutions and they are driving us off a cliff with the help of that very stable genius.
In the U.S., there is no way to have an accurate idea of the number of cases of Covid 19 due to the fact that test kits are largely unavailable. In other countries, including Korea, test kits are more plentiful and case numbers are more accurate. In one example, Santa Barbara brags that there are no proven cases here, but test kits are not available currently at urgent cares, cottage, or county health.
Studies from China show that children are infected at the same rate as adults and carry just as much of the virus, but their symptoms are not as severe. Because of this, and because of their behavior, from the POV of the virus children are ideal carriers.
https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-mutations.html “We shouldn’t worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks.” (The story is more complex than that — read the article.)
If you are indicating that “we shouldn’t worry when a virus mutates…” not sure how you reconcile that point of view with examples of viral mutation that cause concern. Just one small example: flu vaccines can become ineffective if the virus mutates to a form not covered by the vaccine. Thank you for the reference provided, but I prefer to do my own research. As I’m sure you must know, science is ever evolving and studies may contradict each other. Any study cherry picked by someone else does not provide the full picture.
Again: “The story is more complex than that — read the article.” That means that I’m not indicating the words you just quoted. “Any study cherry picked by someone else does not provide the full picture.” — I didn’t cherry pick a study … I provided an overview article. Do whatever research you want … I didn’t post that specifically for your benefit.
BTW, “Since the virus will mutate, no one knows if “new versions” of it will affect younger people more severely in future” is a truism, and says nothing interesting. If you have some research that indicates the likelihood of that scenario, please share it.
This is your time to be planning ahead. How will you quarantine someone in your household so that others do not get sick? I have a daughter in SF who is staying with her program up there. However, if she gets the virus I will bring her down here. We are planning a quarantine room for her because we already have 5 people here. My brother who lives in the Midwest, his wife and daughter will be returning (Evacuating) from Madrid tomorrow. They must quarantine for two weeks. My brother and his son plan to live in the basement for two weeks so to prevent all interaction with them. Set up your plans now because you do not want all your household members sick at the same time.
I realize there are no perfect answers here, but one downside of closing schools—particularly elementary schools, which typically don’t have the online option that higher education campuses do—is that parents, in many cases, won’t be able to afford or find enough childcare, thus offloading some of the task to grandparents, who are much more vulnerable to the virus than kids are.
And with schools being closed, many kids will still get together. They just will. So, if they are going to be together anyway, and they generally aren’t as susceptible to coronavirus, why not leave the schools open so parents can actually work (from home, if possible), thus avoiding the spread to grandparents? Apparently, Britain isn’t closing schools, citing this as one of the reasons.
As we all know there are a lot of homeless here in SB and throughout CA., Oregan, and WA. State. Many of them are senior citizens, and when it comes to the homeless situation, they live in unsanitary conditions. I have not heard or read anything how this will be handled if some homeless individuals come down with coronavirus.
My child goes to SBHS where soap dispensers are not in every bathroom, no special instructions are being given to students, no one is 6′ from each other and as I understand it less than 10 people have actually been tested in SB County as South Korea is testing 50,000 a day. Schools are apparently open in Boris Johnson’s England yet closing in New England. Education is very important but is it more important than stopping a deadly global pandemic from spreading? We don’t know everything about COVID-19 yet, it’s only about 3 months old. Are groups of 250 or more kids going to congregate anyway? I don’t see that happening. Gatherings of 250 or more are not recommended. There are over 250 gathering at every local public school. More than a bit alarmed and concerned here.
Kids are not at risk for the virus, and complications. so is it a good idea to stop education even though it does not affect the kids? ( check the stats, kids are literally NOT affected ) BUUUUTTTT I agreee with you on this front. kids can bring it back home to the older generation that is at HIGH risk.
Over a quarter million people in Great Briton have signed a petition to close schools there, there is (anecdotal) talk among local students of a walk out on Monday. A while back there was an idea to mark a line through SB showing where the ocean will be if global temperatures continue to rise, this idea was shot down as being alarmist and would contradict the image of SB being a place where rich folks with too much plastic surgery can safely congregate sipping wine with a cliff side ocean view. Raising alarms – bad for our PR, yet sometimes needed.
Bring on the clowns
According to the CDC, today there are 1,215 total cases of Wuhan Coronavirus in the United States, and a total of 36 deaths. 19 of those deaths were in one retirement home in Washington state. So far this flu season the CDC estimates there have been at least 29 million flu illnesses, 280,000 hospitalizations and 16,000 deaths. But if it makes you feel better, keep stockpiling toilet paper and Purell. Or, you can practice good hygiene and relax.
“small classroom settings..? I don’t think you’ve been in a local public school for a while.
Yes good hygiene and a level head are very important. However it is dangerous to to not take this more seriously than even the flu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw
The rate of infection is doubling every day in the U.S., Now almost 2,000 cases. It takes up to two weeks for the infection to surface. So little testing has been done, public health officials have no idea how far it has been spread, but contagion rates are 100% if left unchecked. Deaths follow infection after several weeks, so the deaths we have experienced are from infections from a month ago. If you think this is a flu, you are wrong. It is called “novel” coronavirus because the world has never experienced a virus like this. It’s okay to not be concerned for your own health in a pandemic, but don’t spread disinformation.
According to the Covid-19tracker app, there are 2 presumptive positives in Goleta, 1 in Santa Barbara and 1 in Santa Maria. Presumptive positive results are positive test results waiting for additional confirmation.
I hope the schools stay open….used to volunteer in the lunchroom of one of the High Schools…..so many have breakfast, lunch there, at no fee or reduced fee.
I think Foodbank is addressing this….
FYI, the link I provided is an episode by Joe Rogan from 3/10 with Michael Osterholm–an internationally recognized expert in infectious disease epidemiology who has literally written books on this stuff and so far everything is coming to fruition in ways they projected. The flu may result in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, but we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of deaths. He believes it will surge again in China once they lift the draconian measures they have in place. It seems like our best bet at this point is to try and slow the infection rate as much as possible to give our medical system a fighting chance… the so called “flattening of the curve” you may have hear recently as a buzz phrase. I just pray they can get a vaccine out sooner than later.
DW2000 Thank you for linking that very thoughtful interview with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm. He makes it clear why we should *NOT* be thinking of this as just another flu …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw
I would like to sincerely apologize for my overgeneralized ad hominem attack against SB’s image and also for cyberphobically posting my reactionary mean spiritedness twice. Really sorry to non-constructively add to the online vitriol. Will the jury please strike that from your minds. Just feeling overwhelmed &, under informed and since I’m getting my facts from Johns Hopkins rather than Rush/Fox/Prez I’m actually really worried.
Not “Wuhan Coronavirus” it is SARS-nCOV-19. There are the original strains which might plausibly be called the “Wuhan strains” if one is discussing actual or potential emergent strains. Otherwise you risk contributing to that whole scapegoating of Asians. There are many brilliant Asian and Asian-American virologists and immunologists. You would not want to demoralizing them with micro-agressions or promote outright prejudice against them. That Chinese person whose toes are being stepped on today might be the one working on the cure or vaccine tommorow.
Main thrust being not to fall into even a hint of Tucker Carlson style scapegoating or Alex Jones style conspiratorial animosity towards Asians. Yes we can split hairs on the naming convention so here is the authoritative link. [I am not saying TC does not make some good points but he hypes this up like WWIII against China which kind of loose cannon talk could get us all killed if China embargoes medicines and info.] The magic link to quell all dissension: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it
Schools closing starting Monday
A pox (or Coronavirus) on all these price gougers …….. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he-has-17700-bottles-of-hand-sanitizer-and-nowhere-to-sell-them/ar-BB11blvS?ocid=spartanntp
‘I am panicking because other people are panicking.” – Quote from someone in the Costco TP line.
My sister-in-law successfully evacuated from Spain yesterday. Back home in St. Louis. My brother sealed off a section of their house with plastic + 100% tape seal. They’ll have access to the kitchen and a bathroom for the next 14 days in complete isolation from the rest of the household. You might think about having enough plastic and tape to make your own quarantine isolation room if any of your household gets sick. Based on the sheer number of Americans returning from Europe the last couple days we are probably going to see a big spike in cases in the next week or so. Get ready folks, this is real.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/the-coronavirus-and-right-wing-postmodernism/
The lack of affordable healthcare is going to make it even more “real”: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51840233
Allready have, complete with an ICU grade Trilogy 100 Ventilator , 5 ltr/min Portable Oxygen Concentrator, 2 pulse ox units. 2 digital BP Monitors. 1 mercury 1 digital Thermometers, and more.