Anonymous
Source: Public Health Department
The county and city of Santa Barbara is reminding community members and visitors that local Health Officer Order 2020-12.5 prohibits gatherings of any size due to elevated disease transmission of COVID-19. A gathering is defined as any event or convening that brings people together in a single room or single indoor or outdoor space at the same time; limited exceptions apply. Santa Barbara County remains on the state’s County Monitoring List due to continuing high case positivity rates.
The Sunday Cruiser Ride is a Santa Barbara tradition each year during Fiesta but cannot occur this year without endangering the community with the spread of COVID-19. County and city officials urge those who may have been planning to join this ride to cancel their plans for the general safety of the community. If community members are aware of others planning to join, we urge you to share this message with them.
Risk of contracting COVID-19 significantly increases in crowded places and with close contact to others. “Large bike rides, although outside, pose a significant risk for the transmission of COVID-19,” shared Dr. Henning Ansorg, Health Officer for Santa Barbara County. “Events, such as this, begin and end with gatherings of people in close contact and can result in the transmission of COVID-19 by persons who are not symptomatic, but are in fact infectious. These gatherings pose a very high risk of accelerated and widespread coronavirus infections and therefore they are prohibited per Health Officer Order.”
To help prevent spread of the virus, the community is encouraged to avoid gathering for Fiesta celebrations and activities, instead finding safe ways to participate in virtual music and dance offerings at https://www.sbfiesta.org/.
For more information about the local COVID-19 response, visit www.publichealthsbc.org or call the County Call Center at 1(833) 688-5551.
Health Officer Order 2020-12.5 has no teeth without enforcement. The reluctance by our elected and appointed officials to enforce orders is why we’re dealing with the constant increases in cases. Whether it’s a protest or an annual event that draws crowds, the orders that shut down the economy, causing many people to struggle, concern all of us. There should be zero exceptions, otherwise all of the safer-at-home policies are pointless, will never end, and all of us will continue to suffer complying with the orders while some gather without consequence and drag this all out.
The bike riders will ignore this request the same way they ignore every other suggestion or law they don’t like. The cruiser run will go off as scheduled. City cops and officials will wring their hands and say, “oh well, we tried,” and then jump out of the way so they don’t get run over. The majority of the bicyclists will neither be wearing masks nor observing the six-foot rule. Rules are for other people, not bike riders.
why are they [our elected leaders] calling this a “tradition”?? It is an unsanctioned ride that wreaks havoc every year…… and whenever the city or county has tried to get them to secure a permit, they are never able to determine who the organizers are, so they pretend like there’s nothing they can do. Now, I just heard Greg Hart say how “cooperative” the organizers are being…….?? Just ticket them when the hundreds or thousands of them congregate, as they will, along State st., Hollister, Modoc, Goleta Beach and the bike path. Because those areas will be off limits to anyone else.
Since a main goal for these kids is staying out of school permanently, what do they have to lose joining a “covid crowd”?
If you are a bike rider who currently resides in a Retirement Community- don’t go. If you are an adult who is afflicted with some pre-diagnosed respiratory conditon or other severe ailment- don’t ride… If you are under the age of 70 in great health and love to ride your bike then YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE.
If you are a VOTER who feels that you have NOT been REPRESENTED with regard to your FREEDOMS, then you should ABSOLUTELY RIDE!!!
There are times and places when resistance to authority is valued. This is not the time.
After seven weeks of enduring the worst illness I have ever had in 42 years of life – may I kindly suggest you take your sense of free-dumb and shove it up your nose.
Can I ask where you think you got it? I feel like we aren’t getting any real information on where it’s spreading here. Were you a mask wearer? Did you go to restaurants? Thanks for any information you want to provide.
Those of you that believe that this only hurts old people and those with known compromised immune systems are the problem. People with your type of thinking end up getting sick and dying from it too, or with long illnesses that permanently damage the lungs and heart. Anyone who thinks that they and their family are immune is flat out ignorant.