The tiny, half-square-mile community of Isla Vista now accounts for 4 percent of all of Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 cases — that’s 397 cases that are responsible for keeping the county in the red tier longer than anticipated.
“What happens next in Isla Vista is truly up to its residents,” said Nick Clay, director of the County Emergency Medical Services Agency. “No matter how much we test, how much public education we send out, or how much a health order is enforced, the individuals in that community need to take the appropriate actions to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Clay said at the Friday press conference that peer-to-peer education has proved to be the most effective strategy in the community made up of a majority of college-aged residents. Isla Vista is notoriously known for its annual Halloween parties, but this year, a virtual event paired with increased enforcement is being used to quash the mass gatherings before they start.