Central Coast using Tri-Counties approach to have more uniform pandemic approach

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties have a lot in common. They’re coastal counties with diverse communities that make up parts of the Central and South Coasts.

Now the three counties’ public health departments are teaming up to have a more local pandemic response.

A spokeswoman for Ventura County Public Health said the Tri-Counties are not Los Angeles and they need a different approach than what will work for Los Angeles. The Ventura County public health department continues to talk amongst the three counties to try to keep pandemic responses similar among the three counties.

Santa Barbara Supervisor Das Williams said he would like to see a stronger bond between the three counties, and that includes the same guidelines and criteria for mask mandates. Right now Santa Barbara County is waiting for the new case rate to drop below 6.0 cases per 100,000 before lifting the indoor mask mandate. While San Luis Obispo County is waiting for 7.0 cases per 100,000.

Ventura County is not considering a vaccine mandate for the county, but will follow the guidelines that come from the state level for California.

Williams, meanwhile, said if people don't like the mask mandate, they should get vaccinated. The vaccinated population has a case rate of 3.7 cases per 100,000, well below the needed 6.0 for the mask mandate to be lifted in Santa Barbara County.