Santa Maria has one-third of Santa Barbara County COVID deaths, active cases

Laura Place, Santa Maria Times, Calif.
·2 min read

Sep. 8—The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 364 new COVID-19 cases between Sept. 4 to 6, followed by 78 additional cases and one death from the illness on Tuesday.

One-third of the county's 684 active COVID-19 cases are located in Santa Maria, which holds just 24% of the county's population, illustrating the pandemic's continued disproportionate impact on the city's residents.

Tuesday's death, the 478th in the county, was of a Santa Maria resident between the ages of 30 and 49, according to county data. Similarly to the rate of active cases, over one-third of the county's total COVID-19 deaths have been reported among Santa Maria residents.

The city also contains the second-highest COVID-19 case rate during the current COVID-19 surge, with 33.7 cases per 100,000 people. The nearby North County area of Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and Guadalupe has the highest case rate at 42.4 cases per 100,000 people, according to county data.

As of Monday, 78 county residents were hospitalized for COVID-19, including 19 in the intensive care unit. According to state data, 54 out of the 78 patients are being treated at Santa Maria's Marian Regional Medical Center.

COVID-19 vaccination rates throughout the county continue to slowly rise, with 65.9% of all eligible county residents — all those age 12 and up — now fully vaccinated, per county data.

Around 60% of Santa Maria residents are now fully vaccinated, according to state ZIP code data.

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department reported 161 additional COVID-19 cases over the Sept. 4 to 5 weekend, followed by 112 cases on Monday and 72 cases on Tuesday, according to county public health data.

As of Tuesday, 54 San Luis Obispo County residents are hospitalized for COVID-19, including 16 residents being treated in the intensive care unit, per county data.

Rates of COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalizations and deaths from the illness, continue to be much higher among residents who are not fully vaccinated against the virus, according to data from both counties.

COVID-19 vaccines are free and available to all residents age 12 and up, regardless of documentation status. Residents can find a nearby appointment or walk-up clinic by visiting myturn.ca.gov.