Santa Barbara County Public Health urges community to avoid Fiesta gatherings
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is asking members of the community to avoid large gatherings and celebrations during this year's modified Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
The public health department sent out a reminder on Wednesday that the current Health Officer Order prohibits gatherings of any size due to increased risk of disease transmission of COVID-19.
The public health department defines a gathering as any event that brings people together in a single room or singled outdoor or indoor spaces at the same time.
Santa Barbara County remains on the State's County Monitoring List due to high case rates and hospitalizations. Risk of contracting COVID-19 increases in crowded places, the public health department said.
“This year will have to be different for every person hoping to celebrate. The decisions we make in the next few days will set the course for what the transmission of COVID-19 looks like in the weeks to come,” said Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg in a news release. “Please wear a face covering, avoid gatherings, and maintain your distance from those that do not live in your home.”
Old Spanish Days Fiesta has already been modified significantly due to the pandemic. Wednesday night's La Fiesta Pequena will be broadcast live on NewsChannel 3 and on our website.
Earlier on Wednesday, event organizers announced that the "reimagined" Fiesta Caravan Parade would be scrapped.
A complete breakdown of coronavirus cases in Santa Barbara County can be found here.
