Santa Barbara County reports 157th coronavirus death

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced the county's 157th COVID-19 death on Wednesday.

According to the public health department, this person was a resident of the Goleta Valley. They were over 70 years old and had underlying health conditions, the public health department said.

This latest death brings the county's COVID-19 death toll to 157.

This person's death is associated with a breakout at a "congregate living facility," such as a nursing home or retirement community. Many of the COVID-19 deaths in the county are linked to outbreaks at these types of shared living facilities.

A death is considered to be coronavirus-related when the county health department receives a death certificate that lists COVID-19 as the cause of death or a significant contributing factor in the death. The process can sometimes take several weeks to verify.

Santa Barbara County reported 280 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. For a complete breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Santa Barbara County, click here.