Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department will rescind Health Officer Order No. 2022 – 10 effective Wednesday, February 16, 2022, in alignment with the State’s Health Officer Order. Local guidance will defer to State guidance for use of face coverings. Universal masking will remain required in specified settings including, but not limited to, public transit, indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, shelters, healthcare settings, correctional facilities, and other care facilities. Only unvaccinated persons will be required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals will be recommended to continue masking in public indoor settings. For full guidelines, visit the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance for the Use of Face Masks.
In closely analyzing recent data trends, along with the characteristics of the Omicron variant circulating, County Public Health officials have determined that aligning with the State on universal indoor masking is appropriate. While the Omicron variant has proved to be more transmissible than previous variants, it has also resulted in shorter periods of illness, fewer hospitalizations, and a lower death count for fully vaccinated community members.
“Our community has endured through 23 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and we have learned how best to protect ourselves,” shared County Public Health Director Van DoReynoso. “Vaccination, including receiving a booster, and testing will continue to diminish the spread of this virus, especially as we continue to move past the surge caused by the Omicron variant.”
Although masking requirements for indoor public settings are being rescinded, community members are highly encouraged to consider their personal risk in the months ahead as the virus continues to circulate, even at lower levels. A layered approach to protecting yourself and others is best. Consider masking in crowded areas where vaccination status is unknown. If you are sick, stay home for the duration of your illness and get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms. If you are immunocompromised or care for someone that is, weigh your risk in attending large gatherings. Ensure indoor gatherings are well ventilated. Stay informed of case rates as you travel to other areas and take appropriate measures.
“We are calling upon our community to act in the best interest of themselves and their neighbors,” said Dr. Henning Ansorg, County Health Officer. “We are now on the downslope of the recent surge as evidenced by our lowering case rate and test positivity along with stable hospitalizations. We have considered how the dominant variant circulates and what effects it has, and have determined we are in a place to be able to lift the universal indoor masking requirement.”
The risk for severe illness remains high among those that are unvaccinated in our community. From available local data, persons who are unvaccinated are 5.7 times more likely to contract COVID-19, 3.4 times more likely to be hospitalized for severe illness, and 8.1 times more likely to die than persons that are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
Opportunities for first, second, and booster doses remain broadly available countywide. Visit https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/ to find a location near you today.
Business owners and local employers should continue referencing Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and Resources for their industry.
For more information about the COVID-19 response in Santa Barbara county, including testing sites, isolation and quarantine guidance, and data, visit https://publichealthsbc.org/
VOICE OF CHIP – how are we “sheep?” We choose to wear masks in indoor situations when vaccination status can’t be determined. We do what we can to avoid catching and spreading a deadly virus. Those of us who now choose to continue making an effort to protect our loved ones are apparently “anti-science” as you would say, so how does that make us “sheep?”
BTW, rather be a sheep than someone who steals others comments as claims them as their own. Rather be a sheep than someone who upvotes racist comments. Rather be a sheep than whatever it is you call yourself. Bahh! Bah!
VOICE OF CHIP – it’s really something to see you disparage (well, in your mind at least) those of us who choose to continue wearing masks. Why don’t you just let others do as they want? Isn’t that what you’ve been demanding and ranting about for the last 2 years?
COVID is not gone, nor is it endemic (by the scientific definition). Maybe one day it will become endemic, that will depend on mutations. BA.2, the stealth one, is our newest one to watch. Count me in on continuing to wear a mask, N95 and KF94.
Put on your bison chapeau and yell FREEDUMB!
It depends on the community. 8.1 more times in Santa Barbara. In Texas it’s 20-40 times more likely. In Minnesota it was hovering around 30 this fall.
Republicans are too busy banning the books they read to care about their health.
Perhaps they are waiting for the state to change the mask guidelines for k-12?
Sheep dose with Ivermectin. Sheep ban books in schools. Sheep back election lies and defend the violent attack on the seat of government.
Those are telling no’s if that is true.
Mad – There is near absolute consensus that COVID will be endemic. Please do continue to mask if it makes you feel better…but masking our kids shouldn’t make you feel better.
I don’t see why anyone cares if people want to choose to mask for as long as they feel comfortable…but we need to quickly change things so people don’t have to mask if they don’t want to. And I really really want to stop forcing my kids to wear masks at school for 7 hours…that’s just brutal…
Indeed 1:35! This is truly an outrage. We have a Democrat governor and a supermajority in our state legislature, and it’s very disappointing to see them put politics ahead of our safety. We have great leaders who know what the right thing to do is, we just need to make them less accountable to the voters so they have the power to do what is necessary to keep us safe. Our leaders shouldn’t have to worry about getting voted out of office when they implement public health measures!
GT – The vaccine is key…and California is doing better on that. However it’s a somewhat misleading stat as Florida has a much high percentage of older people (which, as we all know is who disproportionally dies from COVID). What’s sad is that pre-vaccine, Florida was actually doing better if you break COVID down by age. Now, Florida is doing worse, though less than what your numbers (without actually diving into them) would imply.
Florida – 21.3% of population over 65
California – 15.2% of population over 65
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-age.html
CHIP – Newsom “put politics ahead of our safety?” How so?
They actually erred in Florida’s favor, at least according to today’s totals. Per capita, Florida’s policies have killed more of their citizens. Trying to whitewash it by claiming demographic differences doesn’t add up.
The Canadian Trucker Convoy, consisting of Right, Left and all between (rainbow flags and the lot!) have demonstrated a United Cause for the People in sub-freezing temps for 2 weeks. The Denmark Model is where we are, where the world is. Furthermore, the extreme deprivations imposed on Society at large might well have cost us more in terms of income, education, social aspects(particularly w/ children) than the health losses to Covid. We all need to get back to normal, though it be an endemic normal.
CHANNEL – “We all need to get back to normal” – Aren’t we pretty much there? All businesses (that I can think of) are open or at least allowed to be open, kids are back in school, you no longer need to wear a mask at the grocery store come Feb 16….. what else do you need?
People’s eyes have been opened to what unscrupulous sludge “conservatives”, right wingers, and Republicans are.
It’s worse than that marcel. Early in the pandemic, courageous leaders like governor Cuomo took bold action to protect us from covid. Now, even in California, governor newsom and our other great state leaders have bowed to the pressure to abandon the life saving measures that are protecting us from covid. They didn’t bow to conservatives, they bowed to the Democrats who elected them. It is the moderate Democrats who have forced this change. Unfortunately, most Democrats are little better than the “unscrupulous sludge” you speak of and lack the education and sophistication to follow through with the policies that have helped protect us all.
DUKE – just got an email from GUSD saying masks are still required. Let’s see how the numbers move, if at all, now that everywhere else is alloed to be mask free. Who knows, maybe the schools are making a wise choice?
Duke whitewashing Republican sludge.
Break down florida by age? Dude, people died.
The protests have been touted on right-wing US television station Fox and have been cheered by some prominent Republican officeholders and conservative pundits; organizers have raised millions of dollars. Former President Donald Trump even weighed in with a statement praising the protesters and denouncing Trudeau.
Sac- It’s always good to accept who/what you are. What racist comments are being upvoted in this thread? Just curious…
OGSB – see deleted comments. It was upvoted twice before rightfully being removed.
12:25 – Still getting your medical advice from right-wing social media? Here’s the real deal on your fallacious 0.2% claim:
https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/claims
-johns-hopkins-study-showed-lockdowns-
ineffective-reducing-covid-19-mortality-based-
working-paper-questionable-methods-fox-
news-daily-mail/
Endemic. You know, like polio and smallpox used to be. Just get numb to people dying.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00155-x
The mask mandate was silly from the beginning, as most industrial hygienists knew all along, so paring back the controls will make no difference. The Covid bug will run its course and become endemic, like the 1918 ‘Spanish flu.’ Political leadership is just acknowledging that fact.
Endemic, like polio and smallpox, and even tuberculosis used to be. What a wonderful condition to aspire to! And masking was and is definitely worthwhile, as all medical hygienists knew all along.
Mirror mirror on the wall, what to do about the election this fall…
*poof* Covid is gone
Let the comments from the far-right peanut gallery commence. Repubs are angry if there is a mask mandate – they will find something to be angry about if there is no mask mandate.
Is it blissful navigating through life with such shallow and cynical thoughts?
“Covid is gone.” Nope, not at all. Still killing friends and family members on a daily basis.
Exactly my point Sac. They said no removal unless under 6 per 100k. We are at 80 per 100k. So what event coming up could they POSSIBLY be worried about? Hint hint… it’s always about power
Wow, even our county officials have abandoned the science for political expediency. This reckless policy change will likely cost countless lives. What are we doing, following Florida’s lead with our covid policy? It’s amazing what an election will do. Here is the latest take on the sudden covid policy reversal from politico.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/10/democrats-ditch-masks-covid-rules-omicron-00007815
“We are at 80 per 100k.” ConservatveBS doesn’t seem to understand enough hard math to get that modeling shows a return to almost 6 percent in coming weeks.
Florida Covid Deaths 66k
California Covid Deaths 82k
Florida population 21 million
California population 39 million
CONSERVATIVESB: Possibly a couple of things:
County said no removal until 6 per 100k in November. November was Delta. Delta was (in hindsight), not as transmissible, but also a serious disease.
Here we are in Feb, with Omicron. From above: ” it has also resulted in shorter periods of illness, fewer hospitalizations, and a lower death count for fully vaccinated community members.”
TLDR, the virus has changed, and so have the methods of dealing with it…
Question: Didn’t the press release from the other day say unvaccinated people were 30 times more likely to die of Covid? 8.1 times is obviously still a massive number (and a reason for people who haven’t had COVID or been vaccinated to get vaccinated)…but how did it go from 30 times to 8.1 times in 2 days?
So lockdowns only helped .2% and the virus followed the same path as every other virus in the history of the world? Weird…
Only in blue states and counties are the methods changing
Can we please now end the mask mandate when we come back from Spring Break…please??? That will neatly and nicely round out a full year of no school and a full year of masked school. It’s time…
Crazy times. Hopefully this we’ll help open peoples eyes. Doubt it though, the virus will virus and the sheep will continue grazing in ignorant bliss.
MM1970 No use in responding to conservativesb – he makes an illogical statement – someone retorts with facts – then he moves the target and makes a different illogical statement usually including whataboutisms and gas lighting. Sadly it’s what republicans do now a days to avoid actual discourse.
We should be removing the kids masks first, not last. Unfortunately the kids can’t vote and don’t donate millions of dollars to politician campaigns like the teachers union do.
I’ll continue to wear a mask in the near future and avoid Conservative BS, for both my physical and mental health.
VOR – It will be interesting to see how long the school boards delay making a decision. They obviously kicked the can of opening for many many many months…let’s see how long it takes them on this. I’m guessing Spring Break…
I can promise you, he agrees with your decision
CHANNEL – all or nothing, eh? Responsible adults learn early on how to adjust and compromise. All or nothing is an unrealistic and sophomoric way to live life.
Should we also bring back the measles? Polio? How about we allow EVERYONE to travel wherever they want, watch lists be damned? Surgeons having to wear masks during operations? Nope! No more! Get rid of seatbelts! They’re communistic!
We demand ABSOLUTE FREEDUMB! We demand NO MORE COVID! Hahaha, yeah have fun with that…..
While COVID-19 deaths are usually adjusted for state population (deaths per 100,000), they are usually not adjusted for the age distribution of a state. It’s important to adjust for age when considering state-to-state differences in outcomes as age is the dominant risk factor for death provided someone is infected with COVID, and state age distributions vary considerably. In the following analysis, we present age-adjusted cumulative COVID-19 deaths and rank each state accordingly.
https://www.bioinformaticscro.com/blog/states-ranked-by-age-adjusted-covid-deaths/
Adjusted for age, Florida did better than CA even with the polar opposite approaches. The politicians who put and maintained these unscientific and ineffective policies in place need to be held accountable.
Why are you still complaining about age? Who cares? An old person’s death is just as important as a young person’s death. Your insistence that we take age into account really does nothing.
Also, if you’re going to simply copy/paste other people’s words into “your” comment, do them the dignity of using quotation marks. You’ve been doing this a lot.
Per capita, Florida killed more of their citizens, and the disparity widened hugely if you only look at the time since omicron. Those are the facts, and trying to whitewash them with demographic excuses doesn’t work.
Sac – We actually as a society put a higher importance and level of tragedy on childrens deaths, and rightly so. All death is tragic, but if we are comparing cutting a life short by a year or by 80 years, obviously the 80 years is “more important”. It’s why in medical procedures we prioritize expected years of life…
ChannelFog: Since a whole range of folks are involved in the protest in Canada, the US media has had one heck of a time defining the “bad guy” (Trump supporters, gun owners, anti-vax/mask, and so on). They do not know how to report it, but it certainly is obvious that our media is completely one-sided with a few minor exceptions. Even Lester Holt had to hold back the laughter to the answers to his questions recently.
If we’re trying to look at the success (or complete lack thereof) of heavily mandated and restricted CA vs. the complete opposite in FL, you need to account for covid’s drastically stratified outcomes based on age. If the age demographics were the same, or covid didn’t disproportionately impact the elderly, you wouldn’t have to adjust for age when comparing outcomes.
SACJON- No, the world is nothing close to normal without the lifting of all mask, vaccine, and travel restrictions. I hope it doesn’t take another year for folks to wake up from the fear. “pretty much there” is like being pretty much pregnant, either you are or you are not (Free).
GENERAL- We’ve watched a lot of live feed video and youtube videos and so have a very different picture of the Convoy from that which the media portrays. The Unity of different people and the festive, giving environment is reminiscent of Burning Man in snow. They feed everyone, including the existing homeless and are cleaning trash. This protest will spawn a Peoples Party to counter their version of Republicrat/Dempublican service to corporations. Hopefully this is a tidal wave of political change for North America. Vote third party or not at all, as there are no “lesser of evils” in these two parties. They both take the middle class and small business down to profit huge corps.
So, what we’re seeing is everyone’s cool not wearing masks except kids at school. Because of course they’re at so much risk and are super spreaders.
Yeah, let’s put the burden on kids.
Cmon teachers Union and those who want everyone wearing masks by themselves in their own cars… get your act together. It’s embarrassing.
Unfortunately kids don’t vote nor contribute tens of millions of dollars to political campaigns, like the teachers unions do.
Finally!!
Yiippeee!!!!!
I think you bring up a good point channel. Our two party system often feels more like an illusion of choice that is more focused on corporations than the voters. Meanwhile, corporate pressure is building to clear out the protesters and the Canadian government is considering turning to the use of force to stop the protests. If Canada is not careful, they might end up having a Tiananmen square moment soon.
https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-detroit-ontario-6e6dcbfaa6717b0aa0f079251663290f
They had a higher death rate. Florida state government didn’t even try. In fact they lied or hid numbers. The current surgeon general is anti vaxxer. He let Delta run wild. It’s disgusting.
So flying the nazi swastika and taking dumps on LGBTQ flags are festive? There probably is something festive about a treason party…. for those committing mutiny. I imagine Arab spring was festive for some terrorists.
GT – Yes, a lot of older people died. It’s tragic. Had more of them been vaccinated, more would be alive today. But, at the same time, it obviously does make sense that Florida would have a higher death rate considering the older population of Florida. To ignore that is, well it’s ridiculous.
Hopefully people see how utterly dishonest both political parties are…and especially the fringes on the far left and far right are.
Wow! Some people are truly delusional. These truckers are just law-breaking bullies trying to impose their warped sociopathic beliefs on others. I suppose that’s what you idiots think is “legitimate political discourse”.
Stupidity seems to be a constant of history.
SAC- Polio and other vaccines have a long track record we cannot yet know the long term effects of these new drug treatments. That is the difference. Why are the documents regarding these drug trials being released over 75 years instead of 7 months ago?
The Watch Lists have been a terrible infringement on innocent citizens and have done little or anything for safety, so yes, as long as screened for weapons, travel. The Patriot Act should have never been enacted as it infringes greatly on Constitutional Rights. I do not fear terrorists!
Seat belts saved my life in 1969!
Do not care for communism.
Yes, I AM having fun living free of Covid Fear and especially, seeing the Truth coming out, bit by bit.
BABY- I believe that the media does know how to report it, as they are told to report it! This Unified Peoples Movement is a huge threat to the current North American power structure, it must be maligned and crushed.
You’ve been told countless times, and remain oblivious because your politics dictate remaining blind to facts. VACCINATION REDUCES DEATHS. It’s really simple, and maintaining public health is everyone’s social duty, just like stopping at red lights. It’s a good bet that someone who doesn’t understand that is a sociopath.
5:35 – What’s the difference between this and any other protest? It put a ding in corporate profits? Less harmful than looting and burning private businesses IMO. If we’re good with one why not all? At least people aren’t getting injured or killed…
@OG, except these truckers aren’t being arbitrarily murdered by police because of the way they look sooooo, not the same thing.
Time to lose the masks.
Yeah, who wants to help protect yourself and others at the expense of having to wear such an onerous piece of cloth?
Well, if it’s not really doing anything (and tangibly harming our youth)… I don’t…
Maybe there can be mask burning parties on Wednesday just like they did in the 1970s for draft cards and bras. I was much too young back then to remember any of that, but I’m there are folks here who do.
So much drama among the adults, and the kids don’t really think it’s much of a problem to wear a mask, except for some that have drama queen parents.
11:17 – I, for one, do not want a bunch of uncivilized, poorly socialized foolish pawns of right-wing social media dictating politics to me via breaking the law.
12:27 – Sorry, but you’re wrong, on a couple of things. Below you can find the epidemiological definition of endemic. Polio and smallpox were endemic until we developed vaccines. Smallpox was successfully eradicated. Polio is still found in the wild in places like Pakistan, where many in the populace fear the vaccine based on a supposed conspiracy. Sound familiar?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00155-x
1:52- You are clearly NOT paying attention. Unlike the US Northwest protests, the Canadians are protecting local real estate. Their Veterans removed the barricades around their War Memorial and cleaned the ice, slush and debris, and be sure that they will protect it. As the Convoy is protecting all Ottawa Biz. Many have been able to stay open. It is clear that you have no concept whatsoever about “legitimate political discourse”. There is a significant chance that this grass roots Canadian movement may change the political landscape of North America. A most WELCOME political change!!!
BICYCLIST- Are you saying that we have nothing to learn from another country? Especially our closest neighbor, Canada? (border length.., ninguna problema con Mexico) This sounds like zenophobia gone wild! We need to listen to all quarters now more than ever.
It’s too bad the school kids are going to stay masked up. So much developmental, academic, and psychological set backs for them. We’ll have to have telethon fundraisers for Gavin’s 2020-2022 kids just like Jerry Lewis did.
Stupidity seems to be a constant of geography, too.
Fear of Greek philosophers? What has that got to do with anything?
-3792. No, wrong. Polio and Smallpox have been eradicated, and are not endemic. Influenza is ‘endemic,’ meaning it remains present in a large population and resists eradication through vaccination, morphing constantly to survive. This is where COVID is going. Like the common flu, it will remain a threat to vulnerable people, but not the vast majority, who will develop immunity. Society-wide controls won’t change this, so it is time to adjust to the reality. Masks and other mandates are placebos, not solutions.
It’s entirely driven by egoism and a need for instant gratification on the part of the presumed “adults”, at least in terms of age.
829pm – Mandating small kids cover their faces all day in masks is ridiculous and dangerous. If We can host the super bowl (not to mention converts and sporting events every day), we can make masks optional for everyone… including (and most importantly!) our kids. I truly don’t understand the deranged obsession with masking the age group that is most impressionable and absolutely doesn’t need it… it’s crazy and completely backwards!
8:29 – I have to agree with you. I’ve never heard any of my kids or their friends complain about the masks. They play all weekend, after school and in basketball and soccer with no masks.
Not saying they should keep the mandate, but I just don’t get where all the outrage is from. Maybe it’s worse for younger kids, K-3rd or so?
MM1970 – exactly. Perhaps for the very young kids, masks are more of an issue, yet even they don’t have to wear them “all day.” I hope they drop the mandate as soon as it’s deemed safe to do so, but I just don’t see the panic or urgency expressed by so many adults. I truly believe the backlash is rooted solely in the mentality of “you can’t tell me what to do” rather than out of legitimate concern.
Sac – Just take a step back and look at this comment. “They play all weekend, after school and in basketball and soccer with no masks.” Let’s add in that they just saw the Super Bowl in LA on TV and have wandered through the Funk Zone and down State Street one of these weekends. How do you drop them off at school today when it’s going to be 80 degrees and think, “yes…this group and nursing homes ARE the two groups that should still be masked”? How does that make sense in any capacity. I’m glad your kids are doing well with it…same with Zoom schooling…some did well with it. It was unmitigated disaster though for many…and for 5-10 year olds, masking for 7 hours per day is as well. For older kids, maybe the hypocrisy and stupidity of it is lost on them…but how anyone could watch the Super Bowl yesterday and still think masking our kids at school today makes sense is beyond me…
DUKE – I’m sorry it’s an unmitigated disaster for your kids to where masks while in the classroom. I honestly don’t really think about the “hypocrisy” of outdoor sports attendees getting away without wearing masks while my kids have to while they’re indoor in class. Probably because I haven’t heard a peep out of them about the masks.