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Doctors respond to rising number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Maria

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria continues to be a COVID-19 hotspot for Santa Barbara County.

Day after day it sees far more cases than any other city on the Central and South coasts.

“We have certainly seen an increase in cases at the hospital, and we’ve expected it all along during the pandemic, that we would see surges come and go,” said Dr. Scott Robertson with the Marian Regional Medical Center

Despite the recent uptick, Robertson says they’re prepared. “We work closely with the California Department of Public health to make sure that we restructured some of our hospital rooms and hospital floors, so that we're able to expand the services we could deliver within our hospitals.”

This includes increasing intensive care unit capabilities, and looking at how care is given within the emergency department.

Right now, Robertson says everyone in the community can play a role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. “People are wanting to get together to celebrate these holidays and try to get some normalcy back into their lives. But it’s important to continue to keep their safe distance from others, continue to wash their hands at every opportunity, and wear a mask whenever you’re out in public or not able to keep that safe distance.”

On Friday, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed more new COVID-19 cases in Santa Maria which is higher than in any other city countywide.

Article Topic Follows: Coronavirus

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Patricia Martellotti

Patricia Martellotti is a reporter for News Channel 3-12. To learn more about Patricia, click here.

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