Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Santa Barbara County officials offered guidance on school waivers for Fall instruction and warn salon owners who have reopened indoor operations against state health mandates.
Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, stated all schools within the county are ordered to provide virtual-only learning due to Governor Newsom’s orders with Santa Barbara County being on the state’s monitoring list for high COVID-19 case transmission.
However, the state has offered an opportunity for some schools to open before the county is off the state monitoring list through a waiver process. Only elementary schools can apply for these waivers and it involves an application by the school district’s superintendent or head of schools, and a consultation with specific school partners. The waiver can only be granted by the county’s health officer after a review of the application with the county’s epidemiology and a consult with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD) will only begin to accept waivers for consideration once the county meets specific criteria for 14 days. Meaning at this time, no waivers have been accepted and all schools must be remote.
“Getting back to school, in person, depends on all of us,” said Dr. Salcido.
She also said the upcoming virtual learning for Fall will have different expectations than this past Spring. As an unexpected emergency took place in March, teachers and administrators were not prepared to immediately pivot to virtual learning. Now with more planning and preparation, and state guidelines, all public schools must meet specific standards for instructions, engagement, assessment, and attendance during the pandemic.
All school districts must provide a specific minimum amount of instruction per day through synchronous, or collective group learning, and asynchronous learning, or indepednet learning. Each day there will be interaction with teachers and students as well as offline assignments. Schools also have plans to reengage absent students, said Dr. Salcido.
A Strict Warning for Hair Salons
Dr. Do-Reynoso acknowledged reports of salon owners throughout the county planning to rebuff the health orders and open their doors to serve clients indoor.
“Recently we were made aware that multiple salon owners across Santa Barbara County plan to defy the current state and local health order to reopen their salon indoors beginning Monday. Please know that opening would violate state and local health officer order. It may be considered an unfair business practice and could result in enforcement actions from state licensing agencies,” said Dr. Do-Reynoso.
Current California and Santa Barbara County Health Order only allows salons to operate outdoors with additional safety requirements. Salons can only offer haircuts and cannot provide hair coloring or washing.
“We truly do understand the impact of closure on all businesses and are working to ensure that all businesses can open safely,” said Dr. Do-Reynoso.
She continued to stress that all community members must act to decrease the disease transmission which will ultimately allow the county to be removed from the county’s monitoring list. To be removed for the list, case rates must be cut in half.
The Numbers As We Know Them
PHD is reporting two additional deaths of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. The individuals were both over 70 years of age and lived in congregate facilities. One individual had underlying health conditions and resided in the area containing the City of Santa Barbara and unincorporated Mission Canyon. One individual did not have underlying health conditions and resided in the city of Orcutt. Deaths are reported when a death certificate is processed listing COVID-19 as a cause or a significant condition. The process can take several days and up to 2 months to finalize if pending Coroner verification.
Total COVID-19 related deaths in Santa Barbara County are now 77.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who have lost their lives to this virus. As the weather heats up in Santa Barbara County, many of us may be tempted to gather with friends and family we do not live with in our free time, but we caution residents to please consider their individual level of risk and make informed choices to protect themselves and others by wearing face coverings as recommended, and staying at least 6 feet away from those whom you do not live with,” said Dr. Do-Reynoso.
County Supervisor Gregg Hart stated CDPH has yet to fully resolve their technical issues resulting in an undercounting of COVID-19 positive cases. Governor Newsom plans for the system to be updated by Monday but county officials are worried there will still be glitches in the system.
In the meantime, Hart said they are focused on the accurate numbers of hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) cases. Over the past 30 days, the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations been been between a tight range of 74 in mid-July to 88 on August 4. ICU cases fluctuate between 24 in late July to a high of 31 this week.
Hart said this indicates Santa Barbara County continues to have a problem with community transmission of COVID-19.
“Without accurate information from the state testing labs on the number of new COVID-19 cases identified daily, we are flying blind about the current level of community transmission. It’s very important the state resolves this data gap as soon as possible,” said Hart.
Health officials also stated the county’s testing availability greatly improved. Testing availability ranges from the same day to the next day at all sites. There is a three-day average turnaround time for results, but for high priority cases, the results can be produced in 24 hours or less.
PHD added 137 news cases on Friday bringing the county’s active case count to 290. There are currently 73 hospitalizations including 26 in the ICU.
More data can be found at https://publichealthsbc.org/status-reports/.
Which Salons are opening indoors? I’d support them. Funny how it says elementary schools can apply for waivers while still on the watch list but then says they won’t approve them until basically we’re off the watch list so there is no need for a waiver at that point because that is the criteria for ALL schools to go back. The more I read the more BS I see. Hurry November, get here quick.
I will support any indoor business. This whole “lockdown” is stupid, ineffective and destroying the economy. Look at Sweden as a prime example. I am also entertained by the false info being reported by MSM about 1 in 3 will not get vaccinated. The accurate numbers are over 2 of 3 will not get vaccinated. How can anyone have an un-proven “something” put in their body when it takes 6-10+ years to know any long term effect?
Easy coming from you Dr Do-Reynoso, you still have a paycheck. The beauty industry is being destroyed. Personal service industry is the only industry not open and California is the only state where hairdressing and esthetics is closed. Stop closing us for one month at a time, we all know if you have it your way you will keep us closed til next year might as well be transparent about it. 6 months already. We are permanently closing everyday. Shame on you.
Quote of the year, as Do-Reynoso continues to pick up her own taxpayer-funded, six figure paycheck: ……….. “We truly do understand the impact of closure on all businesses and are working to ensure that all businesses can open safely,” said Dr. Do-Reynoso.” MEMO to DoReynoso: Anyone can say no for free; you earn your paycheck finding ways to say yes.
Most of the people that want everything to stay closed, work from home, are retired or inherited money. Let’s take everything away from them and see how quickly they change tune. It’s all fine and dandy when it it’s not affecting them right? I get to work full time no unemployment no reduced hours but my heart breaks for people that have no job or are days away from closing up shop for good. Wtf Santa Barbara, we can do better for these people. IF MASK WORK THEY CAN OPEN!
Thank you your support for our industry means everything!
And the info out of Australia (and other places) for every “death” of the covid-19, there are 6-7 suicides because of the lock down there. Totally fair trade off….
No, you’re missing the new lingo = New Normal, Social Distancing, Together Apart… Digital Divide is the new one. I listened to the California/Newsom press conference while driving today. Drove about a 1/2 mile and heard the term ‘Digital Divide’ about 15 times. We must get everyone on line, provide every child computers and home access. Computers in every home. Apple and Google are totally on board to help with this effort. How generous. 5G is the only way to achieve this, I’m sure. “Behind Winston’s back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about pig-iron and the overfulfilment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live — did live, from habit that became instinct — in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized. ” 1984. War is Peace…..
First of all, how dare anyone defy an order to close, serve, lockout, whatever, when there is a government order. I am so tired of hearing a loss of people’s rights and I don’t get my freedom, blah, blah blah. RUBBISH! We will never get rid of this bug if we all walk around doing what we want. Sadly, I am ashamed to be American. This epidemic has shown how entitled we are, but we are NOT! We look like fools in the eyes of the world. God forbid someone can’t get their haircut. What? You need to look good when you die and you’re laying in your casket?
I work in the travel industry. And if you don’t think we are effected, guess again. Hotels are closed, cruise lines are shut down, and airlines are operating at 25% of the capacity they were last year. Travel agencies only make a commission when the product is consumed, thus with no one being able to travel BECAUSE NO COUNTRIES WANT US, due to our level of Corona in this country, we have nothing to sell. Agencies are still closed, considered non essential, but what the hell would we sell even if we opened? So don’t say hair salons are the only businesses shut down. Look around at some store fronts, and open your eyes. There’s a lot of us who want to go to work, but can’t. At least you can cut hair outside. So what! Do it!
You can still arrange to travel in the US. Just do it!
How did 200 active cases per 100,000 residents become the threshold for keeping schools and businesses open or closed?
Truth hurts doesn’t it?
Say it louder for the people in back! Not one case linked to personal care industry per the health dept. newsom saying is started in a nail salon was proven bogus
Board up the businesses that don’t comply, Very simple.
“Look at Sweden as a prime example.”
The difference between Sweden and America is that Sweden doesn’t have to deal with a significant portion of its population being misled by grifters whose livelihoods hinge on the provocation of outrage. Maybe if more Americans understood the difference between pathological indignation and critical thinking we, too, could get through this pandemic without imposing rules. Unfortunately, many among us are afflicted with a unique brand of knee-jerk contrarianism that prevents the acceptance of even the most basic scientific recommendations, like mask-wearing and vaccinations. To these poor benighted individuals, every reported fact is a carefully crafted lie. They don’t know what to believe, so they resist even the most common-sense measures, even as tens of thousands of their fellow Americans needlessly perish.
What a crock. I’m lucky to work in the medical profession so it seems we ALWAYS have work. But my significant other is a salon owner and he is following orders and losing a piece of his business everyday. I can honestly say due to state regulations which have been in place since the before Covid, hair salons follow strict guidelines on cleanliness and sanitation. His place is cleaner than my clinic. His shop can maintain better social distancing than my clinic with large waiting rooms. His salon can manage the small staff better than the large groups converging at local restaurants I see packed with non mask wearing people chowing down all along Cabrillo Blvd and up State Street. The salons are and nail places are being unfairly targeted. And Unemployment isn’t and PUA is a joke! SB county and Governor Newsome you should be ashamed of your selves, while you sit home and receive your paychecks and talk about how you understand how hard it is! What a slap in the face! You have NO IDEA how hard it is, and youve probably never owned or run a business in your life. And if you have I guarantee youve never had a government unjustly take it away from you! And Where are all the protesters for salons?
There are three healthy and intelligent positions for 6 figure bureaucrats with a new form of
their “privilege” they need utilize– Those 6 figure salaries are for judgment not opinion and panic. There are three decisions levels: 1) Yes, (best one) with sane restrictive controls, then most used by bureaucrats 2) NO (not supported by any real comprehensive pro/con research)and safe for careers; 3) Maybe! A form of Yes and empowerment to do right things. Maybe people meet criteria for reasonable accommodation individually and through inspection? DUH. Many salons spent money and went into debt to accommodate. MAYBE we should wake up to what we are doing insane to small essential businesses through fear and threats of fines for even questioning? COVID-19 does not hide in shampoo, nor hair spray, nor scissors, and certainly not in blow dryers– and many colors are already chemical enough to kill even people over time. This is outrageous and biased decision making as usual: NO, NO, NO. Discover MAYBE, think and say YES ? Data is not information–it is data uninterpreted. We have low levels of infection not because people don’t go to salons? Please.
Amen!!!!
People cannot even apply and get an application completed. Some waiting 4 months– the system online doesn’t let people finish, and stops at type of work– gig types are screwed! No phone number either.
Newsom’s EDD is now ED…get it? Massive government impotence and dysfunction!
Yes and no. Some of what comes down from the governor can be left up to the local counties. For instance, the ridiculous ordinance that allows renters to not be responsible for paying their rent. Counties can extend that if they want to burn people who have mortgages and bills to pay and no income from their rental property.
So the county does have some leeway in some areas to move around.
i registered for unemployment on april 3rd. Have heard nothing back..account # never arrived in the mail..no one answers the phone! You try living on 800.00 a month..my social security income. I am lucky, at least I have that!
yestrday, the barber shop, tiny space, was open, with two men inside getting a haircut, plus the barber. One person standing outside, no mask. Perhaps barber shops do not count as salons, or maybe they are open this week and close again on Monday? Meanwhile, State Street is a crazy covid scene and now bars can stay open until 12.30 am! Don’t expect to see our covid numbers go down any time soon…
Yes, the rules and policies are unevenly enacted and applied. How is it that I can get my teeth cleaned – uh, no mask, of course – but not have my hair cut unless it’s outside? Why can my kids be allowed to attend soccer or surf camp but not have a PE class at their elementary school?
It’s not an easy job to decide what should be restricted, but a more equitable approach is definitely needed.
Please if you support salons and personal service industry. Write to our board of supervisors and to our governor in support!
So who is coloring, cutting and highlighting politician and their wive’s hair? I don’t see white roots on anyone in Congress and they are almost all past 50
RunningMike are you getting your info from alt-right rags again? Tell others to avoid MSM when your own facebook page likely has censures for misinformative posts from your sources. The health authorities predicted that 40% of the Stockholm population would have had the disease and acquired antibodies by May 2020. However, the actual prevalence figure was around 15%. While clinical and research findings suggest that severely infected COVID-19 patients do acquire antibodies in the immediate and early recovery phase of their illness, antibodies are much less commonly found in only mildly ill or asymptomatic patients. This means they are very likely not to be immune, and so cannot act as a bulwark against further spread of infection amongst the community.
Lead author Professor David Goldsmith said: “It is clear that not only are the rates of viral infection, hospitalization and mortality (per million population) much higher than those seen in neighboring Scandinavian countries, but also that the time-course of the epidemic in Sweden is different, with continued persistence of higher infection and mortality well beyond the few critical weeks period seen in Denmark, Finland and Norway.” He added that in these countries, rapid lock-down measures brought in from early March seem to have been initially more successful in curtailing the infection surge and thus the malign consequences of COVID-19 on the country as a whole.