COVID-19 case numbers had dropped by 66 percent from Santa Barbara County’s peak in January, county Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said on Feb. 8.
“We looked at other places internationally that were ahead of us, and we saw that same rapid decline. We are pretty confident that the omicron variant had its peak in January,” Do-Reynoso said.
As of Feb. 8, there were 2,555 active cases, which is down from a two-week average of 4,496; hospitalizations had dropped 17 percent; and the county was seeing an 80 percent drop in new cases, she said.
“If you look at our county case rate, it mirrors other jurisdictions because the increase happened around the holidays where people travel, there’s cooler temperatures, and people tend to be inside. All of those contributed to the spread of the omicron variant,” Do-Reynoso explained. “Our community quickly followed public health interventions and encouragement. People became more consistent with face masks and limited their indoor gatherings.”
Do-Reynoso also highlighted that more people got tested for COVID-19, resulting in better isolation and limiting the the variant’s spread. The county’s vaccination rate climbed up to 66.8 percent.
“There’s also a notion between vaccinated individuals and natural immunity—it’s infected everyone that could be infected—added to slowing down the infection and the declining rates,” she said.
As a result, hospitals are less crowded and fewer staff are at risk, Do-Reynoso added.
“We saw around our peak our hospital capacities were on the brink, and we [saw] an increased number of people needing to be hospitalized and staff being sick,” Do Reynoso said. “There is a corresponding decrease with the deep decline in case rates. It’s nice to say that as well.”
Lompoc Valley Medical Center’s Chief Executive Director Steve Popkin said the center’s now able to run efficiently and serve the current number of patients without major problems as COVID-19 numbers decline.
“We are optimistic things will continue in a positive way, and continue to decrease in hospitalization. That’s what is being projected for the Central Coast Region, and California in general,” Popkin said.
As of Feb. 8, the Lompoc Valley Medical Center (LVMC) had seven COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients, and three of those were in the ICU. During the omicron surge, there were 23 hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients. Although there are positive shifts, Popkin said the hospital is prepared for potential sudden changes.
“We’ve learned to be very nimble in decision making. We don’t make any decisions too far out. Since we prepare for the worst for COVID, it makes it easier to operate the hospital,” Popkin said.
The state is feeling optimistic, too. On Feb. 15, the California Public Health Department’s universal indoor masking mandate will expire, and the state will only require face coverings for unvaccinated individuals, Do-Reynoso said.
Officials at the county level are still analyzing local hospitalizations and changing their perspective on required case rates to end mask mandates due to omicron’s high transmission rate. The decision will be announced in a few days, Do-Reynoso said.
“I want to applaud our community for supporting these public health measures. I know we are all a little tired and a little frustrated. I want them to know I appreciate them for accommodating the indoor masking order and praise those getting their vaccines and boosters. All of those actions have contributed to county cases declining,” she said.
This article appears in Feb 10-17, 2022.