Santa Barbara County reports 14 new coronavirus deaths

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 14 new coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday. These latest deaths bring the county's COVID-19 death toll to 330.

Four people were residents of Santa Barbara, four more lived in unincorporated southern Santa Barbara County (including Montecito and Carpinteria), three lived in Santa Maria, two were Goleta residents and the last lived in the unincorporated area near Goleta and Gaviota.

10 of these people were over the age of 70 and two were between the ages of 50 and 69. Additionally, two people between the ages of 30-49 were reported to have died of COVID-19.

11 people had underlying health conditions, public health said, and nine of these deaths were associated with outbreaks and congregate living sites -- such as nursing homes or retirement communities.

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 days or weeks to verify.

In addition to these 14 deaths, the county also reported 241 new cases on Thursday. 164 people are hospitalized, 48 of whom are in the ICU.

For a complete breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Santa Barbara County, click here.