Santa Barbara County public health director discusses county’s response to rising coronavirus case rates

Santa Barbara County's Public Health Director chatted with NewsChannel 3-12's Joe Buttitta about the county's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As coronavirus case rates and hospitalization rates are on the rise, fueled by the Delta variant, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Dr. Van do Reynoso gave Joey an update about what the county is doing to keep the public safe and informed.

The Delta variant seems to be a game changer and we've had new rules in Santa Barbara County for nearly a week now. Masks are once again mandated indoors throughout the county. Do-Reynoso compared the current numbers to how the county's case rate looked last month. Cases are one thing, but hospital stats tell us the real impact of what's happening. Do-Reynoso said hospitalization rates are on the rise.

Do-Reynoso also discussed students returning to school and said more cases have been reported among school-aged children.

On a lighter note, Do-Reynoso said the vaccination numbers are trending in the right direction.

Do-Reynoso also confirmed that not a single person who has been vaccinated for COVID-19 has died from the disease in Santa Barbara County. 467 people have died from COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County. None were vaccinated, according to the public health department.

Watch the video to see the complete discussion between Joe and Dr. Do-Reynoso.

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

If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines or if you want to schedule an appointment to receive one, click here.