A new online dashboard to keep community members informed about impacts from COVID-19 was unveiled during the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
It's called the Community Dashboard, and it builds upon the previous dashboard the county had in place at PublicHealthSBC.org.
Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, an infectious disease doctor at Cottage Hospital weighed in during the meeting saying there were two main goals in creating the dashboard: to tell the community about the impacts the pandemic has on the community but to also serve as a source to make the most data-driven predictions in Santa Barbara County.
"The charts and graphs really do tell the local story of COVID-19 and will help provide our residents with an opportunity to view the data to make the best decision for their personal health and welfare decisions," said Terri Nisich, Assistant County Executive Officer.
The new version of the dashboard provides comprehensive, interactive information to the public pertaining to the impacts the county is currently facing from COVID-19.
Specific details can be found on the improved site, including the number of hospital beds that are currently occupied and the number of ventilators being used for COVID-19 patients. Plus, there is updated information on employment rates, the opening of county-area schools, food distributions, and homeless services.
The dashboard was funded through philanthropic efforts and included many community partners like Cottage Health, and was created through steering and advisory committees that included community health professionals and leaders.
To view the new dashboard, click here.