Santa Barbara County reports eight new coronavirus deaths

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported eight new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday, bring the county's COVID-19 death toll to 275.

According to the public health department, four were residents of Santa Maria, two lived in Santa Barbara, one was a resident of Lompoc and the other lived in the unincorporated area near Goleta.

Seven of these people were over 70 years of age and one was between the ages of 50 and 69. Seven had underlying health conditions and two were associated with outbreaks at "congregate care" facilities, the public health department said.

A death is considered to be coronavirus-related when the 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.

In addition to these eight new deaths, the county also reported 256 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. 192 people are hospitalized, 51 of whom are in the ICU.

For a complete breakdown of coronavirus cases in Santa Barbara County, click here.