Santa Barbara County is reporting the deaths of eight more people who had COVID-19.
Health officials say one of the patients was between the ages of 50 and 69-years-old and seven were over the age of 70. Two cases were associated with outbreaks at congregate-care facilities.
Santa Barbara County has had 275 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Health officials said Tuesday that between Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, the county has seen a 31-percent increase in cumulative deaths. Other statistics health officials shared at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting were more positive, including a 31-percent increase in recovered cases, a 23-percent decrease in active cases, and a 42-percent decrease in hospitalized cases.
Santa Barbara County added 256 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the county's total to 27,402 confirmed cases as of January 26.
Health officials say 192 people are currently hospitalized; 25,064 people have recovered.
The Public Health Department reports that 64 of the county's 76 staffed ICU beds are currently occupied. Fifty-one of them are taken by COVID-19 patients. Ten ICU surge beds are in use.
Breakdown of cases by location:
- Santa Maria - 9,475
- Santa Barbara - 4,943
- Lompoc - 2,823
- Orcutt - 1,461
- Goleta - 1,414
- Lompoc federal prison - 1,078
- Guadalupe and North County unincorporated areas (Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama) - 1,063
- Carpinteria and South County unincorporated areas (Montecito, Summerland) - 1,035
- Isla Vista - 928
- Unincorporated Goleta Valley and Gaviota - 908
- Santa Ynez Valley (Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Ballard) - 798
An additional 1,476 cases are listed as "pending" location.
Three free community coronavirus testing sites are open in Santa Maria, Buellton, and Goleta.
Additional testing is available next to the Santa Maria Health Care Center on Tuesdays through Fridays, and a mobile testing unit is also now in operation at CenCal Health in Santa Barbara.
Appointments are required at all locations. Click here for information on how to make an appointment.
Walk-in only testing is available at the Isla Vista Theater from noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and no appointment is required.
Santa Barbara County is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents 75 years of age and older. For details on how to make an appointment, click here.
For more information on the county's COVID-19 response, visit publichealthsbc.org.