The number of new coronavirus infections in Santa Barbara County continues an upward ascent, among both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Eleven percent of patients admitted to the hospital for coronavirus are vaccinated, and 89 percent are not, "compelling data" that led to the indoor mask mandate that starts at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 6, for everyone over the age of 2. Other rationales given by Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso on Thursday for the mask mandate were:
• The case rate is 3.4 times higher among unvaccinated people.
• 48 percent of cases are community transmission.
• 44 percent were transmitted through close contact.
In addition, County Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg explained what's different about the Delta variant: