SB County Public Health advises community to plan for potential social distancing
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD) said that, in an abundance of caution, it is advising the community to plan for social distancing in case the coronavirus spreads to this area.
County Health Officer, Dr. Henning Ansorg said, “The discovery of community transmission elsewhere in the state makes me feel that COVID-19 could arrive in our county at any time and we want to be prepared.”
Community transmission, which means person-to-person spread, may be minimized if all members of the community actively avoid coming into extended contact with each other--especially in large groups or in public. Lessening the contact between individuals is what the PHD calls, social distancing.
The PHD is urging agencies, businesses, organizations, and health care providers throughout the county to develop and/or update a plan for social distancing within 24-48 hours.
“Our first level of protection comes from the quarantine and isolation of certain individuals,” said Dr. Ansorg. He further stressed that these plans will not be put into effect immediately. “Once cases of COVID-19 are found in the community, it will be time to implement social distancing plans.”
Examples of social distancing include businesses allowing some employees to work from home, resulting in fewer people and less contact between people at the workplace. The PHD advises that members of the public speak with their employer about alternative work plans, such as telecommuting.
The PHD also suggests that religious gatherings consider setting up live streaming so that members of their congregation can watch the service from their homes.
Above all, the PHD suggests that all people who are starting to feel ill or who are ill should stay away from others and not go into crowded settings.
Since the elderly are considered the most at risk for the coronavirus, extended care facilities are being asked to write or update their plans for protecting their residents from interaction with those from outside their place of residence.
Schools are also advised to have a plan in place should the coronavirus enter the area and to be in constant contact with students' families.
Primary care and medical sites are also being asked to set up ways to communicate with patients without requiring them to enter the public such as through Skype, FaceTime or over the phone.
The PHD also continues to advise all members of the community to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching their face with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are ill.
