2 additional staff, 1 youth test positive for COVID-19 at Santa Barbara County custody facilities

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Two staff members and one youth tested positive for COVID-19 at the Santa Maria Probation Department on Friday evening.

The Chief Probation Officer Tanja Heitman reported that one staff member assigned to the Santa Barbara Probation Department's Santa Maria Juvenile Hall and one staff member assigned to the Los Prietos boys camp tested positive for COVID-19.

The first staff member reported that they tested on Monday and their positive test result came in on Wednesday. They last worked on December 17.

The other staff member tested on Monday as well and reported their positive result on Thursday. They last worked on November 24.

Due to the last days they worked, the department says there were no work-related exposures and that there will not be any additional contact tracing or testing.

On Thursday, the department was notified by their medical unit that one youth in custody tested positive for COVID-19.

The youth was tested as part of the booking process.

The youth is currently housed in a medical observation unit to prevent the spread of the virus.

Staff members that were part of the contact tracing were tested as a precaution and their results came back as negative.

The department says the last four youths that have been booked into the Santa Maria Juvenile Hall have all tested positive for COVID-19. Officials say they are not connected and are from different areas of the County.

They say the increase in these positive cases are result of the widespread of COVID-19 in the community.