Santa Barbara County Public Health officials reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the county's total to 31,630 confirmed cases as of February 23.
Two additional COVID-19 related deaths were also reported. To date, there have been 398 deaths attributed to the virus in Santa Barbara County.
Health officials say 76 people are currently hospitalized; 30,797 people have recovered.
The Public Health Department reports that 49 of the county's 76 staffed ICU beds are currently occupied. Seventeen of them are taken by COVID-19 patients.
Updated reopening metrics were also released on Tuesday and Santa Barbara County remains in the purple tier.
To move to the next (red) tier, the county's adjusted case rate per 100,000 residents must be 7 or lower. Currently, it is 16.9, down from 27 last week.
The county's test positivity rate also dropped from 8.2% to 6%. The health equity positivity rate, defined as the test positivity rate in the county's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, is currently 9.7%. Those metrics must be 8% or lower in order for the county to move to the red tier.
Breakdown of cases by location:
- Santa Maria - 10,681
- Santa Barbara - 5,850
- Lompoc - 3,302
- Orcutt - 1,661
- Goleta - 1,635
- Carpinteria and South County unincorporated areas (Montecito, Summerland) - 1,267
- Guadalupe and North County unincorporated areas (Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama) - 1,221
- Isla Vista - 1,203
- Unincorporated Goleta Valley and Gaviota - 1,089
- Lompoc federal prison - 1,086
- Santa Ynez Valley (Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Ballard) - 938
An additional 1,699 cases are listed as "pending" location.
Multiple free community coronavirus testing sites are open in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Buellton, Santa Barbara, and Goleta.
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.
Santa Barbara County is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents 65 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.