Over 1,000 COVID cases in Santa Barbara County, public health recommend practicing proper hygiene ahead of holidays

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Community Data Dashboard reports 1,033 active COVID cases. Public Health officials recommend practicing proper hygiene ahead of the holidays.

"Since it has been like this since the beginning of October, we've seen this plateau; nobody is talking about it so much," said public health officer Dr. Henning Ansorg. "But there are a lot of still active COVID cases in the county."

Los Angeles County is currently experiencing "a winter surge." In Santa Barbara County, public health officials say it is the opposite.

"It is definitely not a COVID surge," said Dr. Ansorg. "We are experiencing locally in Santa Barbara. We are experiencing a plateau in the significant amount of COVID cases."

Right now, the illness impacting the community the most is the respiratory syncytial virus, otherwise known as RSV.

Public health said the holidays are right around the corner; it is essential to get shots against the flu and COVID.

"It is important to when you experience a fever or when you experience shortness of breath to seek medical help immediately," said Dr. Ansorg.

Another thing officials want the community to note is that if you feel ill, you should avoid large gatherings and stay home.

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