Edhat StaffBy edhat staff
The Public Health Department (PHD) is reporting seven additional deaths and 325 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
Four individuals were over 70 years of age and three were between 50-69 years of age. Six individuals had underlying health conditions and one death was associated with an outbreak at a congregate-care facility.
Two individuals resided in Lompoc, two in Santa Maria, one in Goleta, one in Santa Barbara, and one in South County unincorporated.
There have now been 243 deaths in the county due to COVID-19.
Currently, there are 2,616 active cases of the virus within the community. Of those, 206 people are hospitalized including 52 in the intensive care unit (ICU). The county’s ICU availability remains at 0%.
More data can be found at https://publichealthsbc.org/status-reports/
Additional COVID-19 Positive Tests at Sheriff’s Office and County Jail
Two additional Sheriff’s Office personnel and five inmates have been found to be COVID-19 positive. Two of the COVID-19 positive inmates were identified during the intake screening process while the remaining three were re-tested during their quarantine period because they had previously been exposed to positive inmates. Since our last press release, 14 of the reported COVID-19 positive inmates have recovered and two have been release, leaving 38 active cases in the Main Jail. This brings the total number of inmates testing positive for COVID-19 at the Main Jail during the pandemic to 159.
One Custody Deputy and one Sheriff’s Deputy were found to be COVID-19 positive early this week. This brings the total number of Sheriff’s Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 to 99, with 78 having recovered and returned to work.
|
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Main Jail COVID-19 Related Cases |
|||
|
|
Positive Upon Intake |
Contracted Within Facility |
Total Cases |
|
Active Cases Medically Monitored/Treated |
7 |
31 |
38 |
|
Recovered |
8 |
83 |
91 |
|
Released from Custody |
15 |
14 |
29 |
|
Deceased |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
31 |
128 |
159 |
Duke, it’s not a big mystery. Look at the Health Care tab of the SBPHD Dashboard. It clearly shows that there are 71 total beds, with 65 in use, and 52 of those 65 have COVID. There are 6 “actual” beds available, for an “actual” ICU availability of 8.5%. The 0% ICU availability is the “adjusted” availability which is the “actual” minus a penalty applied depending on how many ICU patients have COVID. Yesterday there were also 65 of the 71 ICU beds occupied, so 3 new ICU patients apparently counted against the ICU surge beds, the total number of which is not given. The bottom line is that the 0% “adjusted” ICU availability is being used to scare people into behaving, but like the lockdown it’s not having much effect on people’s behaviors.
I tend to be of the opinion that lying and distorting numbers to the public is the wrong tact. Stating that we are at 0 % and then the numbers fluctuate up and we accommodate more (and as such obviously go above beyond/below 0%) seems ridiculous and dumb. I too remember the 150 number as icu capacity at cottage, with the old Sears building (and at one point the UCSB dorms) coming into play if we went beyond that. It’s kind of annoying that our leaders don’t trust us to handle the truth…
On a totally side note from your point… why are there so many photographers in ICU rooms snapping folk being frantically treated by short handed, exhausted staff? Really asking. Aren’t they in the way? We get pictures day in and day out of over taxed emergency rooms, over taxed staff with people waiting in hallways, dying people… why are there so many photographers in there? Who are these photographers?
Really, you use a quote with a bunch of modifiers to support your position, and don’t provide any comparison with per capita hospitalization and fatality rate numbers? I still don’t get why you are spreading this misinformation. “May”? “benefits cannot be excluded”? “Significant”? Such a weak argument! You need to step up your game.