After a brief plateau, Santa Barbara County COVID-19 case rates are on a decline again. If it continues to decline at this rate, the county’s case rate will likely fall into the orange tier within 10 days.
In order to move to the orange tier, the county must average fewer than 28 new cases per day, Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said on Friday at a press conference. The current seven-day average by episode date is 25. Once the county’s adjusted case rate falls within the orange tier levels for two consecutive weeks, it can formally move into the tier and further open up business restrictions.
Another factor that is helping the county move forward is not just its declining case rate, but the growing number of vaccinated residents. In order to achieve herd immunity, at least 85 percent of the population must achieve immunity through vaccination or recovering from the virus. So far, 45 percent of the county population aged 16 and older have gotten the vaccine, Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg reported.