AnonymousSource: City of Santa Barbara
To protect public safety and slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Santa Barbara City Council adopted an emergency proclamation authorizing the City Administrator to take action necessary to respond to the local emergency. Council discussed ways to be proactive in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and minimizing economic loss by taking aggressive action in advance of many confirmed cases.
Council direction included closing bars, nightclubs, breweries, wineries, and tasting rooms, consistent with recent guidance from the California Department of Public Health. All restaurants and food facilities shall be prohibited from serving food for consumption on the premises. Food can continue to be prepared for delivery or take-out service. Several food facilities are exempt including grocery stores, pharmacies, food banks, and cafeterias and restaurants within hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and the airport. Farmer’s markets are also exempt but should follow guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
Movie theaters, live performance and entertainment venues, bowling, and arcades shall close to the public. In addition, gyms and fitness centers will also close. These emergency measures reduce the chances of transmitting the COVID-19 virus in enclosed spaces where people gather. These measures take effect on Wednesday, March 18 and will continue until Tuesday, April 7, at such time when Council can reassess conditions.
According to Mayor Cathy Murillo, “These were difficult decisions to make but we are looking out for public health for our city and the region.”
City offices continue to be staffed but many public counters will close to the public to limit interaction and ensure social distancing. For updates on City services, facility closures, and special instructions to pay bills, submit plans, and complete transactions, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov.
Why is the Farmer’s market still open?
Because it’s like a grocery store, it provides food.
Why are the non emergency transportation city employees being put at risk when the city is closing all these business down. They should step up and live by the words they preach. City employees that are non emergency that deal with the public should be told to stay home. Set the example
Don’t gather in groups…..
Agreed
Testing should be made available for all “front line” City staff, from Safety personnel to the parking attendants in garages. All could be vectors for the virus, and they and their families could also suffer from their own tremendous public exposure .Also, it seems irrational to close everything down but workers in groceries stores, banks, etc. which will remain open, do not receive testing, These hardworking folks don’t have any idea if they are infected and passing on Covid-19 which in many cases is asymptomatic but can still a vector to spread the disease.
because people are not dropping like flies.
sober thyself https://www.wodarg.com
Farmer’s markets are exempt? What kind of hypocritical bullshit is THAT? The farmer’s markets are stagnant Petri dishes. Shut them down IMMEDIATELY! Jesus, I could carve a better City Council out of a banana.
Don’t go then. There are some new guidelines set up and they provide essential need.
REX: Is the Farmers Mart more of a “petri dish” than Trader Joe’s or Ralph’s or Vons or Wholefoods or Lazy Acres or Albertson’s or Sprouts or Cantwells or . . . ? People still need to eat. I’m surprised people are continuing to mill around together at all, even if it’s only the 50 at a time shoppers allowed into some local supermarkets. What is the alternative? Home delivery for food items?
Who is the enforcement to this proclamation? Not to be a tater tel but the gym is open around my corner.
I wish we could all suck up the fact that we live in a bottle. Remember the floods and you had to take the condor to get to Ventura. 3 main ways in and out. Its a no brainer to me close the roads coming in. We have a unique plus on our side that we can can quarantine our city with relative ease. But once again greed trumps safety. FOOD AIR DROPPED OR BROUGHT BY BOAT. PLUS WE HAVE LOTS OF VEGIES ORGANICALY GROWN HERE. Maybe people are now wishing that they didnt need everybody to.conviently provide for them instead of grass root home gardens and hunting gathering and foraging tech. As far as immune boosters go…. turkey tail is everywhere and if we could get past mycrophobia, the earth provides what we need to help us all build up our systems. Very disappointed in what I see as people’s wants, trump health. Take a vacation for 2 weeks at home. Netflix and just chill or go outside in nature. Social distancing is the core of the solution for this unless you want your house door welded shut by the gov. Like in China. Any thoughts??
Virus in the jail now. Don’t think it wise to hit the gym.
We are moving into suppression and mitigation. This includes quarantine, hand washing and social distance. The period of time will be predicated on a solution. A solution is based on a vaccine. There are currently 3 vaccines presented, with one just starting phase I testing. Shortcuts that increase risk will have to be made to proceed at a fast enough pace to get to approval. There are other viral drugs that exist that are being tested for cross use. What we need more than anything right now is accurate, detailed and available data on outcomes. Sadly, it’s evident what happens if a person doesn’t make it through this. But for the majority that might be infected and do make it though, the sharing of information on what was their experience is crucial. As is data gathering and better understanding what is immunity.
Who is running these programs? If they can educate and practice social distancing these food programs need to STOP NOW!
Rex – That thought crossed my mind too, but I went there last Sat and was impressed that some precautionary measures were in place. One grower gave gloves to people that wanted to handle carrots for example. Also, there were portable hand washing stations at the entrances to the market. If everyone would WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE ENTERING, that would really help reduce the risk. Other than also relying on the hope that people are taking the proper precautions outside of the market, what more can we do – we have to eat?! I hope they are open this Sat and I expect that the growers will be taking additional precautions to minimize the spread of this thing.
“Shortcuts that increase risk will have to be made to proceed at a fast enough pace to get to approval. ”
what.
think about that again.
do you honestly think some rush-job vaccine will actually have less than a 3-5% complication/side-effect rate??? and therefore be just as bad as this “virus” ?
Rex, why do you think that Trader Joes or Whole Foods is safer than a farmer’s market? People need to buy food.
You’re right. Covid-19 is airborne It only takes one person carrying the virus to bring misery and death and all the gloves and hand washing in the world won’t stop it. There were 1000 people at last week’s farmers market, shoulder to shoulder,
It’s no use for us to protest by not going to the market. The more general contact there is, the more spread we will have. We need to all work together. I’m amazed at what I’m seeing in Santa Barbara and I fear we will all pay a high price.
“This not-yet-released HHS report on COVID-19 projects an 18-month-long tsunami of nationwide disease and death. ” https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1240113412752973827?s=20
Health care professionals are getting hit hard. (A Washington state epidemiologist just died of the virus). https://twitter.com/evansiegfried/status/1240450608919912458 “Asked my friend what we can do to help her and the other doctors/nurses. Her response:
1) Stop hoarding masks, gloves and other medical supplies
2) Stay home to flatten the curve
3) Wash your hands
4) Send food. They love food that isn’t from the hospital cafeteria”