Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Public Health officials announced the county’s first pediatric death on Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This person was between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, had underlying conditions, and resided in the City of Santa Maria.
Public Health Department (PHD) Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso stated this event “reminds us all of the severity of this pandemic.”
A second death was reported on Friday, the individual was over 70 years of age with underlying medical conditions and resided in the City of Lompoc. Neither death was associated with a congregate facility outbreak. The county’s death toll has now reached 147.
Santa Barbara County is currently experiencing its second wave of COVID-19 activity with the first wave taking place over the summer months. The second wave started in early November and will likely be larger than the first as metrics continue evenly throughout the county, said Dr. Do-Reynoso.
While it’s unclear how long the second wave will last, health officials are deeply concerned transmission rates will continue to increase as people ignore the stay-at-home orders and gather for holidays and other occasions.
This is the highest level it’s ever been in our county, said Dr. Do-Reynoso as PHD is investigating outbreaks in 17 congregate settings and 6 business settings, including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Supervisor Gregg Hart stated if California were a country it would be one of the world leaders in new COVID-19 cases as the state is experiencing an average of 38,000 new cases and 220 deaths per day.
“We’re in an extremely critical point in time right now,” Hart said.
While vaccines arrived in the county and healthcare workers are starting to receive the first doses, officials warn everyone to stay vigilant and continue wearing a mask and stop gathering with people outside of your household.
“I believe in our community. Period,” said Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, infectious disease specialist at Cottage Hospital.
COVID-19 Numbers & Region Update
PHD reported 186 new cases on Friday bringing the grand total to 14,376.
There are currently 1,098 people that are still infectious with 90 hospitalizations including 24 in the ICU.
The Southern California Region’s ICU capacity is at 0% while Santa Barbara County retains 29.9% capacity.
Hart stated he was on a phone call Friday with Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly regarding the exclusion of the tri-counties from the Southern California Region and the formation of a separate Central Coast Region.
Dr. Ghaly heard the supervisor’s concern that local residents believe individual actions and the community’s response to mitigate the virus is lost within the very large context of the Southern California region. Throughout the pandemic the local response has been consistently better than other counties, said Hart.
Dr. Ghaly reportedly stated that he appreciated the county’s serious response and promised to seriously consider the proposal and to continue dialogue which Hart felt was “encouraging.”
More data can be found at publichealthsbc.org.
Correction—“Santa Barbara County retains 29.9% [ICU] capacity.” It’s actually 34% capacity. Additionally, yesterday PHD reported 297,782 total tests with 281,510 negative, but today they reported 294,255 total tests with 277,799 negative. Where did the 3,527 tests disappear to???
Have you looked at the Demographics tab on the ‘dashboard’? If you look at the break downs of Ethnicity/Race, Gender, or Age… they all add up to 112. 35 unaccounted for. It was the same totals yesterday, too.
Tragic for that family. And for the many many others who’ve had to see loved ones die. But realistically, one pediatric death in our entire county over almost a year is pretty amazing considering the unprecedented pandemic and socioeconomic shutdown were having to endure. Kids aren’t nearly as affected by this, fortunately. Not like the Spanish flu, measles, smallpox, polio. Not like any of that.
I wish they would tell us what underlying condition the child had
Our hearts go out to the parents. No one should loose a child, period.
Most all deaths have “underlying health issues”.
Per the Doctors their biggest concerns are people who haven’t had a physical for years. The patients don’t even know they have underlying health issues.
With that said. It is troubling that the Health Dept does not disclose what underlying health conditions are susceptible to Covid deaths.
Why would they refuse to tell people who are truly at risk? It could be a generic report, not revealing patients identities.
But nope, they refuse to let you know if you are at higher risk putting you at risk since you don’t know if you should be extra careful.
So either the govt doesn’t care enough to warn you or they once again don’t know after 9 months and millions spent on researching Covid.
Why is the give hiding important info from the public?
I do have to say I hate the “drama” around this.
All who have died have underlying health issues or are older. The goby knows specifically who is at risk. . A small percent of the population.
We feel for anyone that dies, whether it’s from suicidal, car accident, flu, pneumonia, heart issues, cancer, and of course Covid.
Most deaths are preventable; don’t get in a car ever, don’t eat all that processed food & get obese with high blood pressure & heart issues, don’t smoke, wear a mask & stay home if you know you are older and/or have underlying health issues.
But to lock down the other 97-99% of the population fir the govts refusal to say specifically who is at risk is negligence.
Why not warn those people do they can take extra precautions?
Right now it’s a guessing game, not really. Under 70 and healthy you have a 99.5% chance of living with no hospital stays.
The govt is playing games. Stop it.
To: “SBLETSGETALONG” : How cruel of you. How can victims of the pandemic be realistically protected if the disease were to run unabated through the population? It seems really cruel to say they could protect themselves while the rest of us live our lives as normal, while spreading death . You have no concern for the health care providers in overwhelmed hospitals ? And, in about 6 months from now a vaccine will protect most of us. Someday, a pandemic will hit like the Spanish flu in 1918, ” The high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20-40 year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic”. Ok to let it rip then too, when those now not affected die in droves? I think not. We hang together or hang separately.