Coronavirus Continues
Santa Barbara County’s Response Widens in Week Two of COVID-19 Outbreak
Published March 26, 2020
From storms and floods to raging wildfires and fatal debris flows, Santa Barbara is no stranger to disasters and emergency preparedness.
But the COVID-19 pandemic is a new kind of disaster.
This is the second week that the health crisis is requiring all Californians to stay at home, and there’s no end yet in sight. All schools are closed and, unless you’re a part of the “essential” workforce, you’re not supposed to leave home, except to buy food, pick up medicine, or exercise outdoors at least six feet away from others. Thousands more people are now unemployed in Santa Barbara County alone, with thousands more likely to come, and collective anxiety continues to build, with no known release date from our statewide house arrest.
As of press time, there are 24 positive cases in Santa Barbara County, four of whom are fully recovered and 19 recovering at home. The remaining patient is hospitalized.
